Editorial Editorial (April 09, 2004)

Kate Wakerly left a big mark on Mountain View

Kate Wakerly had a big heart and the energy to go with it. She was well-known in Mountain View for her philanthropy and spirited community involvement, as well as for helping launch the city's only newspaper.

Over the last six years, Kate had been battling breast cancer, a disease that she fought with every ounce of energy she had until the end came Monday afternoon. Her passing leaves a huge void in Mountain View, a city she loved and worked tirelessly to improve during more than 20 years here.

Among her many community endeavors, she is probably most remembered for her work on behalf of the St. Joseph the Day Worker Center that she helped to gain a foothold in the community. She also made sure the Wakerly Foundation provided the first matching grant for the Voice's inaugural Holiday Fund campaign, which raised more than $25,000 for local nonprofit organizations during the past year.

The generosity of Kate and her husband John ranged beyond Mountain View. Kate received the Julie Billiart award for Leadership in Philanthropy from the Belmont-based Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in February for her support of education and construction of a new school in Nigeria.

For those of us at the Voice, Kate's strengths were seen in her love of good journalism and strong interest in the community, which led to her founding the paper in 1992. With a journalism degree from Marquette and a masters from Stanford, Kate started out with Sun Newspapers, a group of 18 publications that served the South Bay. She eventually became managing editor of the chain, and next found herself editing a publication funded by the City of Mountain View. Soon after, with the help of her friend Carol Torgrimson, the Voice was born.

In a retrospective written for the paper's 10th anniversary edition, Kate marveled that a newspaper started from scratch in a home office 10 years ago could grow from an every-other-month publication into the 18,000-circulation weekly you are holding today. She goes on to credit her friends and staff members who have contributed to the success of the Voice, although it probably never occurred to her that it was her vision that got the ball rolling.

Those of us at the Voice will remember that along with the serious stories, Kate loved to mentor young writers and share a good laugh with the staff. She always remembered birthdays, flowers on the proper occasions, and the occasional party after work. We appreciate the time Kate spent with us and are grateful that she left so many inspiring memories behind.

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