Obituary of

Kathryn Worsley Pratt

(Kathryn Kay)
"The Last Leaf"

Kathryn Worsley Pratt, known professionally as Kathryn Kay, passed away on Feb. 22, 2005 at age 98. She was born on Oct 21, 1906 to Frederick Herman and Eva Price Worsley in Denver Colorado. Educated in Utah, she graduated from LDS College. While attended the U. of U. she was offered an exciting position in radio in Hollywood, and became the first hostess for the nationally famous KFI Midnight Frolic during the Twenties. Later she authored several books of poetry, some of which can be found on her website at www.kathrynkay.com. She was also Associate Editor of "Parade" magazine before it became a sunday supplement.

In 1947 she returned to Salt Lake City where she married LeGrand B. Pratt, with ceremony later solemnized in the Idaho Falls temple. Belonging to the League of Utah Writers and the Art Barn Poets, she joined with Cameron Johns to become charter members of the Utah State Poetry Society. In 1965 she established the Utah Poet of the Year program. She and Cameron were also instrumental in founding what later became the Junior Creative Writing program for high school and junior high school students.

Her personality would light up any room, and many people considered her to be their "most memorable person." She formed lifelong friendships quickly with practically everyone she met. Unfortunately, nearly all of them preceded her in death, as she prophetically wrote in a poem at age ten, describing the feelings of the "Last Leaf" to fall from a tree.

Her husband LeGrand preceded her in death in 1984. She is survived by both of her sons, James and John, ten grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren (with four on the way.)

She will be sorely missed.

The funeral service will be held at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, with viewing at 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Drive.

(Published in Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, Thu 24 Feb 2005.)