Obituary of Mary Kathryn Mowat

With great sadness, the family of Mary Kathryn Mowat (nee Walsh) announces the death of our Mom and (Great-)Grammy. Mom passed away peacefully at New Orchard Long Term Care facility just past tea time on Saturday, March 1, 2025, and one day shy of her 93rd birthday. Cherished mother of David (the late Lina) of Ottawa, Vicki (Dan Diver) of Oakville, and Kati (Tom Nicholson) of Orange County, California. Proud and loving grandmother of Austin (Élizabeth), Bridget (Vincent Dragnea), and Cameron Mowat, Alex and Eric Leger, and Charlotte Nicholson, and new great-grandmother of Madeleine Mowat.

Kathryn was the only child of Harold Edgar Walsh MBE and Mary Victoria Walsh (nee O'Sullivan). She grew up in the Glebe, a part of Ottawa she always remembered fondly, along with institutions like Corpus Christi School, Notre-Dame High School, Glebe Collegiate, and Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Ottawa was second in Mom’s heart only to the happy and carefree times she spent throughout her life alongside family in Gananoque, Ontario. She was a proud Queen’s Golden Gael (Arts ‘53) and led the Ottawa Queen’s Alumni branch during her mid to late 20s.

It only sounded like she had fascinating work during the Cold War at Ottawa’s Communications Branch, because she never told anyone about it, and in 1963, when she was promoted to the executive suite with the title of Mother, her home became the headquarters in which she was happiest and most proud. Mom was wide-ranging in her interests and spent considerable effort as the family genealogist and archivist, apple-pie baker, bridge-player, party hostess, and order-keeper. Those who got to know her well quickly appreciated how her many facets, like a diamond, made her personality sparkle.

A long-time resident of Nepean, Mary Kathryn spent years championing the education of women and girls as an integral member of the University Women’s Club of Ottawa branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), including serving as President and other executive and convenor roles. In the early 90s, she shepherded the establishment of the then new CFUW Nepean branch, as its President also.

Kathryn loved to spend time travelling, enjoying several memorable retirement trips as an oft-solo traveller to Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Europe and of course, a number of winter jaunts to California. She caught the travel bug in her youth with a number of trips to the Caribbean and one particularly formative sojourn in Portugal thanks to her father’s international connections. She was in her element as her UN diplomat-husband’s best asset hosting event after event during the eight months our family spent in Santiago, Chile, in 1971. Her long, full life held many unpredictable situations, too, and she handled each and every one on her own terms, with great strength and success. That example and its lessons will remain the best legacy she could offer to her loved ones, and we are all stronger for it.

Friends may call at Cole Funeral Services (Pinecrest), 2500 Baseline Road, on Saturday March 8, 2025 from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., and are most welcome to attend the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, 2340 Baseline Road, to be followed by a luncheon in the church hall (fully accessible). Inurnment will take place at a later date. Friends wishing to express their sympathy via a donation in lieu of flowers, may wish to consider the CFUW Charitable Trust , or a charity of your choice.