Advertisement
And if the first chapter didn’t grab her, she would put it aside and say, “I’m not reading that.”
The retired La Crosse School District teacher and mother of three always was looking for good books, and many people would call the home she shared with husband Terry Witzke looking for recommendations.
“She had a sister who belonged to a book club in Sacramento, and Kathy would often recommend books to that club,” Terry Witzke said Wednesday. “She really loved reading, and at times I had to snap my fingers to get her back to reality.”
Kathy continued her recommendations and vigorous reading schedule until brain cancer robbed her of her ability to read and communicate. She died Sunday at 69 after a courageous eight-month battle.
“She was just a total person that loved living,” Terry said. “She had many interests.”
Kathy believed teaching was about building relationships with students, Terry said.
Her career included jobs in Rockford, Ill.; Wausau, Wis.; Rochester, Minn.; Holmen, Wis.; and La Crosse.
In La Crosse, she taught at the elementary, middle and high school level but always preferred middle schools, Terry said.
“Having boys of our own, she knew all about silliness,” he said. “She could cope with that sort of thing.”
Kathy was incredible to watch in the classroom, said fellow Lincoln Middle School sixth-grade teacher Scott Anderson.
“She was always really encouraging the kids to be creative,” he said. “She was very passionate in trying to encourage kids to constantly keep learning.”
Gary Peterson, who also taught at Lincoln with Kathy, remembered her as an insightful and caring teacher who had “creative and intelligent” ways to get students interested in learning about language arts, especially when it came to grammar.
Kathy also was a good friend and confidant to have beyond the school, said Gary Peterson,
“She was a good person and easy to talk to ... and she probably sometimes kept me on my toes,” he said.
The Witzkes retired in 1999 — Kathy from Lincoln and Terry as principal of Franklin Elementary School — to relax and enjoy life together.
They were able to travel to Hawaii and Florida and spent many nights in northern Wisconsin at their cabin on Bonner Lake.
Grandchildren Leo, 5, and Lucia, 3, also became an important part of Kathy’s recent years.
“She loved to see them grow and develop,” Terry said. “She loved to have them sit on her lap and read to them.”
In addition to Terry and the grandchildren, Kathy is survived by sons Charles (Amy Wagner) Witzke, John Witzke and Daniel Witzke; and sister Mary Beth (Bob) Metcalf.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Congregational Church, 2503 Main St. Memorials are preferred to caringbridge.org.
Autumn Grooms can be reached at (608) 791-8424 or agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.
