Catherine Mitchell, cherished wife of James E. Mitchell and devoted mother of Natasha Mitchell, died at home in Philadelphia on 10/5/2022, at the end of a Parkinson’s Disease ordeal.
She lived in joy, beauty that she made, and brought to others. Throughout her full life she was a modern dancer, a psychotherapist, a 1st & 2nd grade teacher at The Philadelphia School, a sculptor and painter, a rock climber, and always a violist in many chamber music groups.
She was an exhibiting member of the Philadelphia Plastic Club, as well as a quiet supporter of many charities.
Celebration: The Plastic Club – We will celebrate Kit’s life on Sunday afternoon, October 23rd , at the Plastic Club in Philadelphia. This will be a time to reflect on the joys of her life, sharing them with others if you choose.
3:00 – Doors will open for signing a memorial book and conversation
3:30 – Celebration event – Led by Jim Mitchell
Anyone who wishes to share a memory of your joy with her may do so. We will finish with refreshments, to be complete by 5:00.
A Brief History of Kit’s Life: Kit was born on May 15th, 1941, in Boston Mass. She spent most of her childhood in Belmont, Mass before going to high school at The Putney School, in Putney Vermont, a place she loved for its music and country setting. We met in Cambridge, Mass, after she’d left Bennington College, and married on August 28th in 1963. We lived in Cambridge until she’d graduated from Boston University with a degree in Occupational Therapy in 1967.
We spent two years in Bethesda, Maryland while I was in the Public Health Service. She taught music privately and worked at sculpture and her music. We moved in 1969 to Philadelphia where we lived in various locations, raising our daughter Natasha while living on the 20-hundred block of Locust street.
Kit received an MSW from Bryn Mawr, leading to a career in Family Therapy and then in private practice. She transitioned to teaching by starting as a private music teacher at The Philadelphia School, moving up to a well-loved role as first and second teacher with splendid partner teachers. Around 1998 she transitioned again to focus on painting, taking lessons and learning her craft in multiple courses, and mentorship, first the Sketch Club, and then the Plastic club.
You’ll see examples of her work on the screen and the handout book. In 2014 she was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which led to a long decline and her peaceful death on October 5th at home.
The Plastic Club – 247 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
1-½ Block East of Broad St, between Locust and Spruce.
Lindewold High Speed line stop at 12/13th and Locust.
Broad Street Line stop at Broad and Locust.
Contribution in her honor may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org).
Kit was my therapist in the early 1980s. We did some very difficult but exhilarating Bioenergetic work together. The last time I saw her was in September 1984, when she attended my wedding. I still wear the beautiful necklace she gave me.
I think of her frequently and how her decision to change careers laid the groundwork for me to do the same, many years later.
She was a quietly courageous woman and therapist and wasn’t afraid of tackling the messy, scary inner work. She was a wonderful guide.
I only now seeing her obituary. I send condolences to her family and friends.
Dear Jim and Natasha,
You will remember me, I hope, as the wife of Michael Zuckerman, and friends with both you and Kit. Kit played a crucial role in our lives with our older daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is mildly autistic, and we were struggling with whether it was time, at age 14, to give her therapy or some other aids, as her coping skills were not evolving well as she matured. Kit listened patiently to all our worries and all our stories and advised us judiciously to wait and see how the transition to high school went. With a few wins, Kit felt confident that Elizabeth would thrive and learn new strategies on her own. If those wins didn’t happen, she suggested counseling, for all three of us. I was so moved then by her friendship, her deep insight, and her willingness to affirm the potential of Elizabeth’s life without therapy. The comment above mentions Kit’s courage, and I think she showed us that courage that afternoon.
I was reaching out to find her again, because Elizabeth is again facing a limit shaped by her coping skills. I intended to reintroduce myself and ask for her suggestions about who Elizabeth might reach out to. And I discovered here, to my great sorrow, that I will not be able to seek her guidance. Mike and I both send our most sincere sympathies, and our deep regret that we were out of town and out of touch through the hard years since 2014. We wish we could have been more support to all of you. For what solace it can be, please know that her memory lives on, and is cherished, by all of us.