Obituary of Kathleen Elizabeth Brann

KATHLEEN E. BRANN, 93 Kathleen Elizabeth Brann, 93, of Chapel Hill, passed away April 7, 2013 in Raleigh, NC. Funeral service will be held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, Chapel Hill, on Friday April 12, 2013 at 11:00 AM with Reverend Kerri Hefner officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Walker's Funeral Home is handling the funeral arrangements. Kathleen was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Maurice and Julia Smith on February 27, 1920. She met and married her future husband, Herbert, when he was a U.S. Army Warrant Officer stationed in Melbourne during WWII. They and their young son, James, subsequently moved to Herbert's home state of North Carolina in 1948, moving to Chapel Hill in 1965. She was a homemaker who enjoyed gardening and almost any kind of crafts/handiwork. She was very active in the work of New Hope Presbyterian Church, receiving a "Lifetime Service Award" in 2012. Kathleen was a 4-H Club organizer and leader for many years, and was manager of "The Craft Corner" in Carrboro, a craft consignment store of the Orange County Council on Aging. She was also well-known for her great love of felines, having rescued and cared for many, many beloved cats over the course of her life. Kathleen is predeceased by her parents, Maurice and Julia; sisters and brother, Lorna, Dot and Allan; husband, Herbert; and beloved daughter, Marcia. Kathleen is survived by her son, James Maurice Brann of Chapel Hill; daughter Victoria (Dennis) Benson of Raleigh; and granddaughter, Lorna Ashley Knick of Chapel Hill. Memorial donations may be made to New Hope Presbyterian Church, 4701 NC 86, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, or to the feline (or animal) rescue organization of your choice. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the wonderful staff of Wake Assisted Living, an Alzheimer's & Dementia Residence in Raleigh, for their loving care of Kathleen for the past two and a half years, and to Kathleen's New Hope Presbyterian Church family.