Kattus Family Clippings

Adolph Kattus

Dr. Albert A. Kattus, Jr. & Mary Clare Kattus

Mary Clare Kattus Obituary

August 11, 1921 - December 17, 2014 Mary Clare Kattus - Loving mother of 7, grandmother of 15, great grandmother of 4, loving wife/widow of Albert A Kattus MD, passed away peacefully on Dec. 17, 2014 at the age of 93 in North County San Diego, where she resided since retiring. Mary lived a long successful & colorful life, not only as a wife, mother, grandmother & great grandmother, but as a nurse, teacher, giver & crusader of causes dear to her heart. Mary Clare Fallon was the 2nd born to Thomas & Grace Fallon of Jackson Heights New York. Her younger sister Grace & 3 brothers, Tom Jr., Joe & Jerry predeceased her. Mary graduated from Queens College, New York with a degree in English. She worked hard as a nurse during World War ll, taking care of our wounded soldiers fighting in the Pacific Theater. She married the love of her life, Dr Albert 'Hal' Kattus who she met at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, during her tenure as a nurse, where he was completing his medical internship & residency. After moving to California, Mary went on to practice nursing at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI) in west Los Angeles where her husband, Dr. Albert A Kattus, held the position of Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the UCLA School of Medicine. Mary also taught nursing at LA Trade Tech, contributing greatly to their nursing program during her long career. She was a gifted poet, documenting her fulfilling life through the creative writing of beautiful poems. Her 7 children, their families & her husband provided her with an abundance of 'material' for her years of inspired poetry writing. There was never a dull moment in Mary's household - laughter & music were the order of the day for all occasions & it was always 'open house' to her children & their friends! She was planner & gracious host of many UCLA Medical School social functions held at her home & loved entertaining the many visiting physicians from around the world her husband would invite into their house. Mary enjoyed traveling the world with Dr 'Hal' Kattus & loved volunteering her time & giving to her favorite charities. When Mary's dear husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Mary became a devoted advocate for the fight against Alzheimer's, dedicating her time to raising awareness, traveling to Washington D C & Sacramento to lobby Congress & Calif. legislature for funding to support Alzheimer's research. Mary received many awards over the years for her dedicated work for the Alzheimer's Association, housing for the elderly & nursing. Later in life Mary became a 'Casa' for 'Voices for Children' (court appointed special advocate for kids) to pursue her strong desire to help disadvantaged kids of all ages. She was also a hospice volunteer. Mary will be missed by not only her many loving family members, but also by her numerous friends, colleagues & care givers. Mary is survived by her 7 children: Frank (wife Sharon), Mary Jo, Gretchen (husband Bill), Sarah, Jane, Patty, Tom; her 15 grandchildren: Candy, Rachel (husband Josh), Megan, Eric (wife Hillary), Nicole, Matti (husband Randy), Patrick, Irene (husband Clark), Jessica (husband Jeff), Grant, Max, Nicholas, Mia, Mark, Venessa; her 4 great grandchildren: Tallulah, Cash, Soraya & Jude, along with many nieces & nephews. A celebration of Mary's life is being planned for a later date. Please feel free to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, American Heart Association or Seasons Hospice.

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Published by Los Angeles Times from Jan. 3 to Jan. 4, 2015.