Kathryn Luff
Kathryn Luff age 75, devoted mother, grandmother and active resident of New Canaan for 42 years passed away on April 7, 2014 in her home. Her children, their spouses, her grandchildren and friends surrounded Kathryn during the days that preceded her passing.
Kathryn was born on August 26, 1938 in Oak Park, IL. She was the daughter of Paul and Bernice Kelly Desmond. Kathryn was predeceased by her husband Gerald “Jerry” M. Luff Jr. and her youngest daughter Valerie Ann Luff. Her children; Jerry Luff of Petaluma, CA, Kelly Weldon of Wilton, Jeffrey Luff of Oxford, Jennifer Mitchell of Ridgefield, and Bradley Luff of Montvale, NJ, survive Kathryn. She also leaves behind 12 grandchildren as well as her siblings, Joanne and Paul.
Kathryn, or Kay to all who knew her, graduated from Florida State University where she received a B.A. in Business and Fashion Design. After a successful career in Management with Bell Telephone in Chicago, Kay married Gerald Luff Jr. and started a family of six children. She was a Dame of Malta and was active in many Catholic charities including Malta House, St. Catherine Academy, teaching CCD, Birth Rite and the Lourdes pilgrimages. Many in the community also knew Kay as the author of the “Mary Talk” for the Emmaus Retreats.
Kay was a devout Catholic and an active parishioner at St. Aloysius in New Canaan for 33 years and most recently of St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk for 9 years. She shared a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. Kay also enjoyed gardening and was a member of the New Canaan Garden Club for 10 years. Kay loved Sprite Island in the summers and Naples FL in the winters. Kay was also a founding member of the “Diner Ditzs” and the “Motherhouse Sisterhood.” She had a playful sense of humor, an infectious smile and lively personality that touched many.
The family will receive friends at Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main Street New Canaan on Wednesday, April 9th from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. A Solemn Requiem Mass will be held on Thursday, April 10th at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, 669 West Avenue, Norwalk at 10:00 a.m. A private burial will be held immediately following at Lakeview Cemetery. For directions and online condolences visit www.hoytfuneralhome.com
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation in memory of Kay Luff to St. Catherine Academy in Fairfield and/or Malta House in Norwalk.