Kathryn Elizabeth Gilbert

Kathryn “Kathy” Elizabeth (Auger) Gilbert Kathryn “Kathy” Elizabeth (Auger) Gilbert, age 73, of Kansas City, Missouri, went to be with the Lord she dearly loved on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, due to a car accident that tragically also took the life of her husband of 53 years, Gary Gilbert. A “celebration of life” memorial time will be on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 10:30 am at the meeting hall of The Church in Kansas City – 4751 N Holmes St, North Kansas City, Missouri 64116. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the family for final expenses. Kathy was born June 14, 1949, in San Antonio, TX, to the late Col. Gerry Auger, and Nancy Thrasher, both natives of Keene, New Hampshire. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Jeffrey Auger. Kathy grew up in a military family with an older sister, Judy and a younger brother, Richard. Her father was a well respected colonel in the US Air Force and her family lived in multiple US cities throughout their childhood along with several years overseas on US Air Force bases in Chambley, France (1955- 1958) and Okinawa, Japan (1963-1967) were Kathy attended high school and was a cheerleader and homecoming queen. While attending high school she began to join a group of young people in christian fellowship, a number of whom considered going to Texas Tech University together because of the football program. She met Gary at Texas Tech University her freshman year and they soon were married on June 28, 1969 at Reese Air Force Base and quickly started a family. Kathy was a young mother and slowly grew into motherhood – eventually raising four children. She was a stay at home mother for all four of her children. Throughout Gary’s career as a business owner, she supported him by doing the administrative office work and keeping things for the business organized. Besides being a whole-hearted believer in Christ; being a mother and a grandmother were her greatest joys. She was always the first to lend a hand to anyone in need and was the ultimate caretaker. She was a very invested grandmother and most of all enjoyed spending all her free time with her 8 grandchildren. If the grandkids were coming over for “grandparent time” she would put all personal needs aside to solely focus on her grandkids. She’d make special trips to the library and craft stores to have elaborate art projects that she’d work on with them. There were many days of nature walks, bike rides, board games, s’mores cookouts, and tea parties in the backyard treehouse Gary built. The doting grandparents had many years of campouts at Watkins Mill State Park where they set up ornate campsites and were always excited to welcome their children and grandchildren with what they considered the most valuable thing –quality time spent with each other in nature. Kathy began a work-life career in her sixties starting a job at Children’s Mercy Hospital in the medical records department. Although this was difficult, she took on the challenge as she did everything else in her life, with a strong eye for organization and wanting to do the best job she could possibly do. She finished her professional career at Senior Helpers, where she poured her love for caring for others into helping older seniors and her beloved young Amelia, to whom Kathy became like a grandmother. She lived the majority of her life being a devoted believer in Christ. Her faith and love for God was unwavering throughout her entire adulthood life. She exuded the true example of being a believer and lived her life with no hypocrisy and always lived what she preached. What she valued most was passing on her solid and unwavering belief in God to all those around her. She is survived by a son Timothy Gilbert, and his wife Katie, of Highland Village, TX; daughters Elizabeth Byers, and her husband Richard, of Kansas City, Missouri; Kim Prier and her husband Justin, of Leawood, Kansas; and Ginny Hill and her husband Jason, currently of College Station, Texas; eight grandchildren Jackson Byers, Adeline Prier, Annabelle Prier, Allie Gilbert, Abby Gilbert, Ruth Hill, Aletheia Hill, and Zoë Hill; a sister Judy McGowan, of Eugene, OR; a brother Richard Auger, of Lake Forest Park, WA; and numerous nieces and nephews. According to a pre-arrangement, Reflections Memorial Service is assisting the family with the cremation. Burial will be at Platte City Cemetery at a later date in a private ceremony, if you would like to make donations to the family please use venmo @GaryKathyMemorial

Kathryn Elizabeth Gilbert

June 14, 1949 - April 26, 2023