The Tripod

Vice President for Alumni Relations and Communications Kathleen O'Connor Boelhouwer, passed away Friday, Oct. 23, after a yearlong battle with terminal brain cancer.

The Trinity College community was notified of her passing in a campus-wide e-mail issued by Vice President for College Advancement Ron Joyce that afternoon.

Lamenting the "tenacity and grace" with which Boelhouwer battled her disease, Joyce expressed his sadness in her passing. "The determination and enthusiasm that she brought to her work and her friendships at Trinity are an inspiration to all of us, and we will deeply miss her presence among us," Joyce said.

Born in Glen Rock, N.J., on August 28, 1963, Boelhouwer graduated Glen Rock High School in June of 1981 and matriculated at Trinity that fall.

Boelhouwer graduated Trinity College with a degree in English in 1985. After commencement, she attended a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate program and received an M.B.A. in 1989. She then took a job at Miss Porter's School, an all-girls boarding school in Farmington, Conn. There, she was a "long-time member of the Advancement team, managing alumnae/parent relations, special events, web presentation, publications, and marketing," according to Joyce's e-mail. She worked at Miss Porter's for 17 years.

Fatimah Finney '11 attended Miss Porter's during Boelhower's employment there. "I did not know her too well but I was indeed acquainted with her. Every time that I was in contact with her she was always very happy and such a pleasant person to be around. I remember my first year at Trinity while I was walking with the rest of the First-years during the procession at opening convocation, Boelhouwer ran to me and two other MPS students and hugged us and told us how happy she was that we were all here at Trinity. It was a nice feeling, as a First-year student, to know that someone was happy that you existed at Trinity," Finney said.

During her time at Miss Porter's, Boelhouwer remained a presence at Trinity, often volunteering as Reunion Chair and Class President, a title she held as an undergraduate.

In January of 2006 Boelhouwer decided to return to her alma mater as an official member of the administration. She was named Vice President for Alumni Relations and Communications and served under that title for three and a half years. While at Trinity, Boelhouwer strengthened the alumni office, organizing reunions and homecoming and booking a variety of speakers for these events.

She also worked to build a strong Trinity presence in all Web, mail, and media communications, thus increasing participation in alumni area clubs.

Outside of Trinity, Boelhouwer also worked diligently with various charitable organizations. She served as a "board member for the Southside Neighborhood Alliance in Hartford and the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, as a Trustee and Member at Large for the CASE District I, and actively volunteered for Trinity College neighborhood and Farmington school district activities," according to an obituary issued by The Hartford Courant on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Joyce also noted her energetic personality and presence in the office, something he and all those who worked with Boelhouwer will miss. Boelhouwer was affectionately known as "KO" by those closest to her.

"Her staff loved her for her gusto. Decisive and intense, KO also possessed a fine sense of humor, and her distinctive laugh could quickly lift the mood of even the most serious staff meeting. Whether as a member of the President's Group or in day-to-day management of two departments, Kathi always brought a finely honed sense of what was in the best interests of Trinity, its reputation, its students, and its alumni. Her commitment to this College did not waver," Joyce said.

Dean of Students Frederick Alford also noted Boelhower's spirit and character. "Kathi Boelhouwer was a real take-charge person, very energetic; she had a great laugh, a laugh that could really crack any silence. She will be greatly missed," Alford said.

When Boelhouwer was diagnosed with brain cancer, she took a leave of absence, spending her last few months with her family in their Cape Cod summer home.

In lieu of flowers, Boelhouwer's family is asking for donations to be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute 10 Brookline Place West, 6th floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226; Miss Porter's School, 60 Main Street, Farmington, CT 06032 (www.missporters.org); or the K.O. Boelhouwer Fund, Office of Development, Trinity College, 300 Summit St, Hartford, CT 06106.

Boelhouwer is survived by her husband Mark Boelhouwer who graduated Trinity in 1983, and their two daughters, Alexandra and Clare.

A memorial service is planned at the Trinity College Chapel on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m., with a reception in the Washington Room to follow.

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