Catherine M. Kitchen, recipient 2018

A long-time member of the Fall River Historical Society, Catherine M. Kitchen is recognized as having given countless volunteer hours to the organization and provided outstanding service in various capacities for several decades.

Born and raised in Fall River, Cathy began her education at “the Little Academy,” Sacred Hearts Academy, then continuing on at the high school. Upon graduation, she attended Bridgewater State College, where she majored in English literature, earning teaching certificates in secondary English and history. She later did graduate work in early childhood education.

After graduating from Bridgewater, Cathy married Robert Kitchen. Two years later, she took a ten-year hiatus from teaching to work on her three greatest achievements – Vicki, Rob, and Jonathan.

Cathy was drawn out of retirement by a need for preschool education for the deaf and hard of hearing in Southeastern Massachusetts, something she witnessed first-hand while seeking speech and lip-reading sources for her daughter. Teaming up with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Cathy established and taught in a preschool for hearing impaired children in Southeastern Massachusetts. Five years later, the Fall River School System began a comprehensive program in early childhood education for the deaf and hard of hearing. Cathy then resumed her career in the curriculum department of the Fall River schools. After three years, she returned to her initial training as an English teacher at B.M.C. Durfee High School, where she remained for twenty-five years.

Cathy pursued her daughter’s interest in figure skating by serving as president of the Fall River Figure Skating Club, and both her sons’ interests in music by serving as secretary of the Durfee Band Aides.

In her retirement, Cathy, together with Bob, has enjoyed: spending time with their grandchildren, Nick, Zac, Spencer, and Charlotte; travelling and cruising the world; volunteering at the soup kitchen at St. Bernadette’s; and her work at the Fall River Historical Society.