Kathleen
Kathleen Harding
d. July 9, 2018
Kathleen (Keacher) Harding
January 29, 1952 - July 9, 2018
Kathy passed away peacefully at home on Monday morning, July 9th, after a weekend surrounded by her loving family.
Kathy grew up in rural Stacy Minnesota, with parents Joyce and Wilfred Keacher and four siblings: Jim (Donna), Pat (Jerry), Debby (Kevin), and David, where she attended the two room elementary school.
She married her high school sweetheart, Tim Harding. Happy together for 48 years, they had two sons, Paul (Sarah) and Adam (Christine) and two precious grandsons, Huey and Roland. She loved being a grandmother and always had toy trucks and crackers in her purse for little Huey.
Kathy's career began with designing clothing for local boutiques which led to her becoming the fashion buyer for the Bibelot Shop in St Anthony Park. In the early 1980's Kathy opened Preview, a new wave fashion boutique at St Anthony Main, featuring unique fashions from young designers, many she found on treks to New York studios in Tribeca, Soho, and the East Village.
Her next chapter was in collaboration with Tim at Harding Design Studio, where she designed art-to-wear garments for an international clientele. Kathy was an intuitive colorist. She had a keen sense of the structure, drape, stretch, and feel of fabrics.
Kathy and Tim collaborated with architects on the design of two custom-built homes. Her great eye for the interplay of contrasting surfaces and textures, natural light-filled spaces, and interior and exterior vistas extended to the landscapes. Like her parents, she was avid gardener. She grew vegetables, fruits, flowers, and native perennials.
Kathy dabbled in ceramics, throwing and hand building vessels, and was able to build a pottery collection by trading her textile designs for ceramic artists' work at craft fairs throughout the U.S.
Another of Kathy's passions was cooking, creating simple yet refined fresh, often vegetarian fare, reflecting her travels. Her cooking style evolved to blend her mother's traditional MN cuisine with foodie and ethnic influences - a family favorite being seafood paella.
Kathy's interest in world music and soccer developed from Paul and Adam. She loved live music at the Cedar, the Dakota, and while traveling, for example Afro-Cuban jazz at a wine-cellar venue in Paris, and cumbia at a small bar in Monte Verde Costa Rica. Many enjoyable hours were spent at soccer fields around the cities and the upper midwest. Kathy and Tim even played for a while on an indoor soccer team of parents of their kids team.
Kathy had been in home hospice care for the last month, as she finished her courageous 8 year battle with cancer. Her active lifestyle including tennis, Pilates, and walking surely helped her beat the odds of a dire prognosis again and again in her struggle.
As challenging as the last few years were, they were also among the most momentous and joyous of her life, with the weddings of her sons, Paul and Adam to wonderful women, Sarah and Christine, and the birth of grandsons, Huey and Roland.
A celebration of Kathy's life will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, September 19th
in the Great Hall at Silverwood Park, 2500 county Road E, Saint Anthony, MN 55421
https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/silverwood-park
Kathy was a kind, generous, strong, and authentic spirit. She will be profoundly missed
In lieu of flowers Kathy suggested that remembrances may be made in the form of donations to:
Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
Kathy had a lifelong commitment to encourage children's reading.
Children's books at the Saint Anthony Park branch library will have a bookplate inside the front cover
honoring Kathy's support for years to come.
The Masonic Cancer Center Research Fund
Most of Kathy's treatments were done at the University of MN Masonic Clinic. She had a brilliant oncologist
with a talented, caring team.
UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency
This has been a favorite relief charity of Kathy's for many years. Given the situation in the Middle
East, Africa, and Myanmar, this is more important than ever.
Everytown for gun safety
Another issue of importance to Kathy, especially for the protection of innocent children.
January 29, 1952 - July 9, 2018
Kathy passed away peacefully at home on Monday morning, July 9th, after a weekend surrounded by her loving family.
Kathy grew up in rural Stacy Minnesota, with parents Joyce and Wilfred Keacher and four siblings: Jim (Donna), Pat (Jerry), Debby (Kevin), and David, where she attended the two room elementary school.
She married her high school sweetheart, Tim Harding. Happy together for 48 years, they had two sons, Paul (Sarah) and Adam (Christine) and two precious grandsons, Huey and Roland. She loved being a grandmother and always had toy trucks and crackers in her purse for little Huey.
Kathy's career began with designing clothing for local boutiques which led to her becoming the fashion buyer for the Bibelot Shop in St Anthony Park. In the early 1980's Kathy opened Preview, a new wave fashion boutique at St Anthony Main, featuring unique fashions from young designers, many she found on treks to New York studios in Tribeca, Soho, and the East Village.
Her next chapter was in collaboration with Tim at Harding Design Studio, where she designed art-to-wear garments for an international clientele. Kathy was an intuitive colorist. She had a keen sense of the structure, drape, stretch, and feel of fabrics.
Kathy and Tim collaborated with architects on the design of two custom-built homes. Her great eye for the interplay of contrasting surfaces and textures, natural light-filled spaces, and interior and exterior vistas extended to the landscapes. Like her parents, she was avid gardener. She grew vegetables, fruits, flowers, and native perennials.
Kathy dabbled in ceramics, throwing and hand building vessels, and was able to build a pottery collection by trading her textile designs for ceramic artists' work at craft fairs throughout the U.S.
Another of Kathy's passions was cooking, creating simple yet refined fresh, often vegetarian fare, reflecting her travels. Her cooking style evolved to blend her mother's traditional MN cuisine with foodie and ethnic influences - a family favorite being seafood paella.
Kathy's interest in world music and soccer developed from Paul and Adam. She loved live music at the Cedar, the Dakota, and while traveling, for example Afro-Cuban jazz at a wine-cellar venue in Paris, and cumbia at a small bar in Monte Verde Costa Rica. Many enjoyable hours were spent at soccer fields around the cities and the upper midwest. Kathy and Tim even played for a while on an indoor soccer team of parents of their kids team.
Kathy had been in home hospice care for the last month, as she finished her courageous 8 year battle with cancer. Her active lifestyle including tennis, Pilates, and walking surely helped her beat the odds of a dire prognosis again and again in her struggle.
As challenging as the last few years were, they were also among the most momentous and joyous of her life, with the weddings of her sons, Paul and Adam to wonderful women, Sarah and Christine, and the birth of grandsons, Huey and Roland.
A celebration of Kathy's life will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, September 19th
in the Great Hall at Silverwood Park, 2500 county Road E, Saint Anthony, MN 55421
https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/silverwood-park
Kathy was a kind, generous, strong, and authentic spirit. She will be profoundly missed
In lieu of flowers Kathy suggested that remembrances may be made in the form of donations to:
Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
Kathy had a lifelong commitment to encourage children's reading.
Children's books at the Saint Anthony Park branch library will have a bookplate inside the front cover
honoring Kathy's support for years to come.
The Masonic Cancer Center Research Fund
Most of Kathy's treatments were done at the University of MN Masonic Clinic. She had a brilliant oncologist
with a talented, caring team.
UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency
This has been a favorite relief charity of Kathy's for many years. Given the situation in the Middle
East, Africa, and Myanmar, this is more important than ever.
Everytown for gun safety
Another issue of importance to Kathy, especially for the protection of innocent children.
Celebration of Kathy's Life
The Great Hall at Silverwood Park2500 County Road E
Saint Anthony Park, MN 55421
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
11:00 AM
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Kathleen Harding, please visit our flower store.
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