Katherine Gaston Obituary

Gaston, Katherine Secord Bain Chapel Hill, NC. Katherine Secord Bain Gaston formerly of Highland Park and Dallas, TX, passed away in peace attended by family at Carolina Meadows Health Center Saturday May 3, 2008. Her strength and grace will continue to serve as inspiration to both family and friends. Kathy was born in Seattle, WA on July 24, 1933 at Swedish Hospital . She was the second child of the late Dr. Charles Grant Bain and the late Mrs. Katherine Secord Bain. Kathy grew up in Chehalis, WA and graduated from Chehalis High School in 1951. She attended and graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. While attending The University of Washington she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. After graduation, she moved to New York City for her Dietetic Internship at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center which she completed in 1956. She then returned to Seattle in 1957 and was hired as the first clinical dietician on staff at The University of Washington Hospital. While in Seattle, Kathy met and married the late Dr. Erskin Alton Gaston II of Shreveport, LA in 1960. Their union together lasted more than thirty years. In their early years they lived in Pensacola, FL; Corpus Christi, TX ; Memphis, TN; New York City and Los Angeles. With their two young children, the family settled in Dallas, TX during the summer of 1969. Kathy's professional career was as a Registered Dietician specializing in Chronic Diseases and Public Health. Her years of experience in dietetics led her to the Dietetics Division of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as Coordinator & Career Counselor for The School of Allied Health. She retired in 1997. Kathy always enjoyed trying new activities and appreciated all types of sports. Her love of the mountains led her to snow skiing, hiking and camping that she enjoyed over many years of family vacations to Utah and Wyoming. Her adventurous spirit led her to travel the United States and also abroad to England, Scotland, Italy, Mexico and Canada. She always enjoyed local cultures, specialty cuisines and an area's history during a trip. She loved to play the piano and sang with a lovely soprano voice. In her later years she found great joy in learning to play the dulcimer and studying traditional music of early America. In 2005, Kathy relocated to Chapel Hill, NC where she continued to follow her loves and interests; history, spectator sports (basketball, hockey and football), family, music, church, travel, theatre and making new friends. Throughout her life, Kathy lent her talents, gracious manner and wonderful sense of humor to numerous clubs and organizations including: Pi Beta Phi, PEO, The American Dietetics Association, Bent Tree Country Club, The Dallas County Medical Society Auxiliary, The Dallas Museum of Art, Hidden Hill, Church of the Incarnation Dallas TX, ECW, News & Views and St. Benedicts Anglican Church, Chapel Hill, NC. Kathy is survived by daughter Amanda Ballew, her husband Scott Ballew and their son Evan Ballew of Durham, NC; son Alton Gaston his wife Jeanine Gaston, their daughter Drea Gaston and Chase Stricker of Murphy, TX; sister Peggy Northrop of Davis, CA; brother and sister-in-law Jim and Connie Bain of Seattle, WA. Dear to her heart, Kathy leaves a loving extended family of nieces, nephews , great nieces and great nephews, cousins and so many loving friends across the country. A Memorial Service in Celebration of Kathy's life was held Friday May 9, 2008 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Durham, NC. A Remembrance Reception following a private family Inurnment Service will be held Monday June 23, 2008 at 11:15AM at Church of the Incarnation, 3966 McKinney Avenue, Dallas TX 214-521-5101. The family will be receiving guests at the reception. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Kathy's memory to either of the following organizations is sincerely appreciated: UNC Hospice, P.O. Box 1077 Pittsboro, NC 27312 OR N.C. children's Hospital c/o Crystal Hinson Miller Campus Box 7220 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7220 On-line memorials: www. hallwynne.com. Select obituaries. Hall-Wynne Funeral Service 1113 W. Main Street Durham, NC 27701 919-688-6387