Katharine (“Katry”) Ryland Schwab, born March 30, 1953 in Huntington, New York, died March 19, 2019 in Boston.
Born to Emory B. Stein (nee Phillips) and Walter B. Schwab, Katry spent her formative years in Potomac, Maryland with her mother, her stepfather, Julian Stein, Jr., and seven siblings. Katry attended Holton Arms School and graduated from Boston University with a degree in physical education.
Biking, running, riding, tennis, canoeing, yoga, and hiking brought Katry freedom and joy, whether in Massachusetts, Maine, or Colorado. This joy she passed on to others through teaching, training, and guiding her clients and staff at health clubs throughout her career. For the last 25 years, Katry managed government fitness centers at the Volpe Transportation Systems Center and the Tip O’Neill Building where she maintained unparalleled standards of excellence, innovation, and dedication. Her friends and colleagues speak of her as a leader and mentor; she was focused, disciplined, used humor whenever possible, and was always gracious. This was true in all aspects of her life.
The family camp, Kemankeag (c.1922) on Rangeley Lake in Maine was an anchor of Katry’s life. She managed the camp with her typical attention to detail with no complication too complicated. Her sense of the aesthetic for the property and the gardens was guided by passion, attention to detail, and constant maintenance. Her reward was the sight of the lake, the song of the loons, and the pleasure of welcoming us all to the camp.
She leaves her siblings Diana, Phoebe, Sarah, Denny, Jonny, Nicholas, and Kate, to carry on without the refuge of her wise counsel and great love. Her numerous nieces and nephews will remember her kindness, good humor, and thoughtfulness. She is also survived by her siblings Sarah, Walter, and Christopher and her aunts Bumble Marshall, Anne Corcos, Marie Louise Barrett, Lita Phillips and Darcy Phillips.
The family wishes to thank the staff at the Dana Farber Institute who worked with Katry to give her the best quality of life possible during her illness. We are also exceedingly grateful to the Palliative Care Team at Brigham & Women’s Hospital for their care for Katry and her family at the end of her life.
A memorial service will be held at Meadhall at 4 Cambridge Center, 90 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142 on Friday, April 26 (5PM-7PM).
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Katry’s memory to The Open Door (28 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930) or online at www.foodpantry.org