Kathryn Aileen Walker

Kathryn “Kathy” Aileen Walker was born on December 27, 1974, in Pensacola, Florida to her parents Judy and Frank Walker and passed away on May 2 in Hospice in Townsend, Montana. She grew up in the National Parks in places like Gulf Islands National Seashore, Yellowstone, Carlsbad Caverns, Fort Clatsop National Memorial and Nez Perce National Historical Park. She graduated from Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College with a B.S. degree in English and Communications in 1995. She worked for Naumann and Associates as an editor in Boise. When she moved to Bozeman, she worked at the Museum of the Rockies and the MSU office of Admissions. She decided to return to MSU and earned another bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2018. While going back to school, she did her student teaching at Whittier Elementary and later served there as a Paraprofessional. Kathy taught first grade for two years at Butte’s Kennedy Elementary School and moved back to Bozeman to help care for her mom who was recovering from cancer. She most recently taught pre-school at the Children’s Development Center in Bozeman.

Kathy was a live wire as a kid, always with a big smile and a big heart; she earned her nickname “Exuberant.” She loved people and pets. She was even in a Kid’s National Geographic magazine while her dad was assigned to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. She had a beautiful voice and was a very talented and creative artist. What she really enjoyed was working with young children, helping them learn as much as they could. She was a good cook and loved playing cards. Butterflies were special as was her cat, Chloe. She was independent and single her whole life. As an educator, she was a member of the Montana Education Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children and Kappa Delta Pi International Society in Education.

Kathy is survived by her parents, Judy and Frank Walker of Bozeman, Montana, her nephew, Elyas Stonewalker (Ashley) and grandnephew Dietrich Stonewalker all of Troy, Idaho, and by sister-in-law Crystal Marie Walker and her three daughters, Natalie, Riley and Hannah, all of Homer, Alaska and many relatives and friends scattered across the United States. Kathy was preceded in death by her older brother Mark and younger brother Phillip, and both sets of grandparents. Cremation has taken place with her ashes to be scattered later.

There will be a celebration of Kathy’s life at a later date.