Kitty
The headlines read “Elderly women dead in Hernando Florida shooting”
One of the women referred to in that article was my dear friend and mentor Kathryn Donovan.
Kathryn Donovan
Those of us, who knew her well, know that she would have scoffed at being referred to as elderly; in fact she avoided the subject of her age entirely because, as she made clear to her best friend Kim Wagner, she planned to live to be 150. Kathryn was a powerful woman, such so that her daughter Louanna said yesterday in a tearful conversation “…I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I never thought Mother could be killed or die for that matter.” She was such an indomitable spirit.
To her students she was passionate and compelling. To her fellow color experts and image professionals, she was a leading authority on the subject of color and fierce in her to determination to maintain the integrity of the system of Personal Color Analysis. To those of us who loved her she was all those things and just “Kitty”, a gentle woman who walked to the beat of her own drum. Kitty was an individualist, bohemian, a mother first and foremost, an artist, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a writer, a mentor, a dreamer, an optimist, and a really good friend.
Power is defined as the ability to do something or act, powerful as having the ability to influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Kitty was a powerful woman who took action in pursuit of her dreams, who never let anything and anyone get in her way, and who had a great capacity to inspire others with her great passion for color. By the time she launched her book Understanding Your Color, and her business, Sci\ART she had been a struggling artist, an art instructor, a Personal Color Analyst, and a Munsell colorist where she solidified her already vast color education.
She was a single mother, supporting and caring for her three daughters, Manessa Donovan and Suzie Greif, who worked with her at Sci\ART and Louanna Wilson, who she credited with helping her write her book and who, with her husband, Chris Wilson’s help, designed and managed the Sci\ART website.
Kitty launched Sci\ART, her company dedicated to the study of color, its use, and its affects on the human being in 2000. She achieved international acclaim and was included in the “Who’s Who of American Women,” 2000-2001, Millennium Edition for her innovation work in the field of color. Kitty used her artistic expertise, the knowledge she gained as a colorist, and her exceptional ability to communicate and demonstrate this knowledge to make her workshops a life-changing experience for her students.
In 2002, having made the decision to redefine my career, I found Sci\ART. I had been color analyzed 25 years before, when I worked in sales on Wall Street. Loving clothes and all things related to fashion as I always have, I had come to appreciate the importance that wearing flattering colors played in creating a visually pleasing impression. So having decided to become a Personal Color Analyst and having thoroughly researched color education, I signed up for Kitty’s Personal Color Analysis Workshop. Sci\ART’s driving philosophy that color is art but its accuracy is a science made it abundantly clear to me that this was the company with which I wanted to affiliate. I went from being the only student that first day to participating in countless workshops with numerous students, over the course of the next several years.
I witnessed the powerful effect that Kitty had on her students with her depth of knowledge and her passion for color. We all came to learn how to do Personal Color Analysis, and left seeing color holistically with a true appreciation for the role that color plays on the human being physically and emotionally. We learned that color is light and an integral life sustaining force with well-established therapeutic benefits.
If power is the ability to act and being powerful is having the ability to influence others then Kitty was a living example. Thanks to Kitty, I am now privileged to be a certified instructor along with other talented image professionals from Los Angeles to Australia and Hong Kong. We enjoy thriving businesses, and like Kitty, we help our clients and students see the world that surrounds us through her eyes. In essence, the world for her was color and it was beautiful.
Kitty was a free spirit who tragically suffered a brutal death. She devoted her professional life to building Sci\ART, her beloved business. She left a footprint in the field of color where she will be sorely missed.
Kitty used to talk about this dream place near running water, where she could paint naked all day in the woods. I find some solace in the belief that she is now at peace in her little corner of heaven and find comfort in the following words from Kahlil Gibran:
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
…And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
– Excerpted from The Prophet -
Donations to help the family defray medical costs can be sent to:
Suntrust Bank
1 East Jefferson Street
Brooksville, Florida 34601
Attention: Sherri Lucier
Maytee, what a heartfelt tribute to your friend, Kitty. Your love and respect comes through in your writing. I know how very much you will miss her. Mary
Dear Maytee:
What a beautiful, beautiful tribute. Words fail in expressing the essence of our sadness but you have captured the essence of “who” Kitty was…Giving, selfless, generous and truly a spirit that filled everyone’s heart who met her. A quiet soul yet a giant among people. She with her honesty and persistence built a loyal following! Thanks for sharing. I will forward this on to my circle of friends.
Maytee,
I have never been eloquent with words thank you so much for saying it all. I ache of this great loss to all. Kitty was everything and more than words can express. She was such an inspiration to me and my passion of creating the correct colors for women’s cosmetics. If I had not met Kitty I would never had ventured so deeply into the creation and perfection process. Her system is truly the best designed color analysis system I have ever seen. Her wisdom and expertise encouraged me to intensely seek deeper into the creation process and hone in on the specific tonal qualities of each palettes needs. She will always have a special place in my heart and I will miss her so deeply.
Maytee,
Thanks so much for the lovely tribute to Kathryn. You knew her well and captured her unique and wonderful spirit. Kathryn’s contribution to the world has forever changed my life and so many others……..we will miss her deeply. It’s hard to know where to turn at a time like this so I was grateful to find your tribute tonight. May we all find the peace and harmony that was Kathryn’s essence. We will certainly never forget her. Kerry
Maytee,
Thank you for taking the time to capture the essence of Kitty. She was an amazing person and her spirit will be remembered forever. I was a student of hers back when she was in CT and just starting out. She inspired me beyond my imagination. I think of her daily as I plan my wardrobe and inspire others to think of color in a whole new light. She has changed the world. I plan to continue color analysis and her legacy. Kitty’s approach to life was so admirable and yes I can see her painting in the woods naked. That is how I will envision her forever. “Peacefully creative”! Thank you for sharing that. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends and they come to terms with such an unimaginable tragedy. Nicole Sayers
Dear Maytee,
I can still hear and feel the passion of Kitty. We talked the whole evening after the class and this great mentor of coloration allows me to bring such a scientific and artistic system to Asia, being the first one. I am blessed. Her voice, her sharing and her way of seeing people are still like a masterpiece painting in my mind. I have started my 11th classes of Sci/ART color analysis; applied this to my corporate training & Asian business forum sharing; and incorporated it into my naturopathic practice. Psychologist, CPA, banker, artist, stylist, CEO… are all convinced by Kitty’s work. I heard of this tragedy just when I decided to bring her passion to China. Although it’s sad, my determination on this will only get stronger, as I am sure that Kitty will be very happy to see this happens. Kitty’s works and researches on Human Coloration has marked a new page of human understanding and application of color. Your mentees will continue to write the new history, page by page, from West to East… I miss you Kitty… We planned to meet in May again… but we’ll meet everyday whenever I see color. Desmond in Hong Kong
In June of 2007 I sent out emails to businesses across Australia, and the World, in the search for some honest answers to some simple questions about colour. One of these emails landed in the inbox of a Woman from far, far away.
This first email was the beginning of a long, long conversation with Kathryn Donovan which ended all to soon.
My work day unofficially began each morning, with turning on the computer on waking, just to check in case there were new emails from Kitty. My workday unofficially ended each night with the switching off of the computer, but not without first checking to see if there were any new emails from Kitty. Although so far away it was as if Kitty was in an office, or a house, or a room, just down the road; or perhaps a just across the other side of town.
I never believed that the internet could provide a forum for getting to know some one. But now I believe it is possible. I trusted kitty. I trusted her judgment, I trusted her expertise, I trusted her motivations, I trusted that she cared, and I trusted that she would always say it as it was, straight down the line, upfront and honest. Kitty was a woman you could trust to always be who she really was. Such a rare and valuable quality!
Thank you Kitty for trusting in me.
I talked kitty into getting a web cam. The one small regret I have is for not hounding her to learn to use it! It would have been great to ’see’ her more. She said it sat over on a shelf, and that one day she must get to using it. In the end though perhaps it did not really matter. In the end the emails were good enough.
I have a file in my ‘inbox’ marked Kitty. It contains hundreds of conversations, contained in hundreds of emails. Some are all jumbled up. As in ‘real’ life conversations are not always linear, but can continue on after weeks of neglect. Kitty always got back to you even if you had forgotten the question!
The conversation with Kitty will not end here. They say that death is the end of a life, not the end of a relationship.
Thank you for being in my life Kitty. I will miss you.
Amelia in Australia.
Dear Maytee
Thank you so mach for the lovely tribute to Kathryn.
I respect her unique life and deep knowledge for color.
Her contribution to this world and Japan has so huge affect,
and changed my life.
We will never forget her.
Yours Sincerely
Toshiya Hashimoto
What beautiful tributes. I don’t know what I could say that hasn’t already been said.
I had been doing color analysis for 15 years before I found Kathryn’s website in 2004. I flew to Connecticut a couple of times for training in the 12-tone system. During the second visit, Kathryn mentioned that she was overwhelmed with business, exhausted, and wanted to have trainers to give her the creative time to innovate new products and services. I jumped at the chance and feel fortunate to have been her first trainer.
I believe Kathryn’s legacy is not only her obvious gift of color knowledge and application, but also her love of teaching. She was committed to sharing that knowledge to help others understand beauty and help them create their own businesses. No matter what the question, she would take the time to explain the answer until the questioner fully understood the answer. She freely gave of her knowledge and experience. She was a woman with a great heart. I will miss her.
Maytee, You have written a beautiful tribute. What a terrible tragedy. Kathryn was such a knowledgeable and passionate person. She will be missed.
Karen
[...] and a tribute from her first student, Maytee Garza: http://www.revealstyleconsultancy.com/2010/01/kathryn-kalisz-donovanpublished-by-mayte-garza/ [...]
Dear Maytee, You said it all. I just found this web page. I found out about Kitty by accident. Looking on her web-site as I always did for new classes. I had taken the Color Analysis class in Los Angeles with Brenda, then Color Mixing and Matching at Brenda’s house with Kitty teaching. I met you there. I was the True Autumn with red hair. I was so much in shock. I can not express my sadness.I had spent so much time on the phone and exchanging e-mailings with Kitty. Meeting her in person was a dream come true. I will never get over her amazing patience and sincere love of teaching. Her gentle and loving spirit I will always remember. The world has lost an amazing Light of Love and Kindness. The knowledge that she taught me has changed my life. I think of her everyday as I keep understanding color more and more. The last time we spoke we were
planning to see each other again at a Color Harmonizing class. I am so sorry that did not happen.I will think of her for the rest of my life as I am amazed by color. And thanks to Kitty I see it everywhere and she is a part of it.Especially when I see a Rainbow I will know she is watching all of us and sending us her love. What a wonderful person and one that will be missed by all that were blessed enough to be touched by her.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Westphal
In June of 2007 I sent out emails to businesses across Australia, and the World, in the search for some honest answers to some simple questions about colour. One of these emails landed in the inbox of a Woman from far, far away.
This first email was the beginning of a long, long conversation with Kathryn Donovan which ended all to soon.
My work day unofficially began each morning, with turning on the computer on waking, just to check in case there were new emails from Kitty. My workday unofficially ended each night with the switching off of the computer, but not without first checking to see if there were any new emails from Kitty. Although so far away it was as if Kitty was in an office, or a house, or a room, just down the road; or perhaps a just across the other side of town.
I never believed that the internet could provide a forum for getting to know some one. But now I believe it is possible. I trusted kitty. I trusted her judgment, I trusted her expertise, I trusted her motivations, I trusted that she cared, and I trusted that she would always say it as it was, straight down the line, upfront and honest. Kitty was a woman you could trust to always be who she really was. Such a rare and valuable quality!
Thank you Kitty for trusting in me.
I talked kitty into getting a web cam. The one small regret I have is for not hounding her to learn to use it! It would have been great to ’see’ her more. She said it sat over on a shelf, and that one day she must get to using it. In the end though perhaps it did not really matter. In the end the emails were good enough.
I have a file in my ‘inbox’ marked Kitty. It contains hundreds of conversations, contained in hundreds of emails. Some are all jumbled up. As in ‘real’ life conversations are not always linear, but can continue on after weeks of neglect. Kitty always got back to you even if you had forgotten the question!
The conversation with Kitty will not end here. They say that death is the end of a life, not the end of a relationship.
Thank you for being in my life Kitty. I will miss you.
Amelia in Australia.