Kathryn A. Metcalf
Kathryn A. Metcalf, age 78, formerly of Topeka, died Friday, July 29, 2022, at Marquis Place in Concordia, Kansas. She was born May 3, 1944, in Kansas City, Kansas, the oldest of seven children born to Lupe “Lou” and Esperanza (Rangel) Amayo.
Kathy graduated from Argentine High School in 1962 and attended Park College in Parkville, Missouri, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish in 1966. There she met the love of her life, William “Bill” Metcalf. Together they moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where Kathy pursued a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Iowa (1968). The couple married on September 12, 1970, in Kansas City, Kansas, and briefly lived in Pittsburg, Kansas, before settling down in Topeka to raise their beloved son, William “Will.” Kathy was an attentive and loving mother who ate young Will’s invented “grape sandwiches” with a smile, recording the recipe in careful handwriting.
Kathy taught languages in public schools for a time, but it was with the state of Kansas that she built a 39-year career. She retired in 2015 as the human resources director for the state Department of Revenue. The YWCA of Northwest Kansas celebrated her leadership as a 2007 Women of Excellence nominee. A lifelong student, Kathy enrolled in courses at multiple higher-ed institutions, at times for credit and at others for fun.
Kathy enjoyed walking, practicing tai chi, reading mysteries, watching sci-fi and Hallmark movies, keeping up with news and politics, taking pictures on film, chatting on the phone with friends and family, bargain-hunting, reading to grade-schoolers, and volunteering as a docent at the Topeka Zoo. During retirement she treasured Caribbean cruises and trips to see relatives and friends. She was a collector of practical things: notebooks, paperclips, thrifted tchotkes, and seashells from her travels. She relished every moment with her grandchildren, greeting sunrises with the words “Hello new day,” writing stories, and indulging their imaginations.
Kathy was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Bill; and by her parents, Lou and Esperanza Amayo.
She is survived by her son, Will Metcalf (Lindsay), of Concordia, Kansas; sisters Linda Green (David) and Susan Marron (David), both of Kansas City, Kansas, and Rita Amayo, of Los Angeles; brothers David Amayo (Cindy), of Joplin, Missouri, Michael Amayo, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Louis Amayo, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; grandchildren Quinn and Bennett; and numerous extended family members and friends.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at Maple Hill Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas. Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 9 at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Meadowlark Hospice, sent in care of the funeral home.