Katherine Anne (O'Connor) Whitehead, 78, of New Bedford died Wednesday August 21, 2002 unexpectedly at home. She was the wife of Franklin G. Whitehead, and daughter of the late Jeremiah and Anne (Murray) O'Connor.
Mrs. Whitehead was born in New Bedford and had lived in New Bedford for all of her life. She was a graduate of Holy Family High School, attended Boston University and graduated from UMass-Dartmouth. She was a communicant of St. Lawrence Church.
She was formerly employed as a school teacher for the Fall River and Acushnet Public Schools, teaching for 15 years at the Acushnet Elementary School until her retirement. She had also worked as a substitute teacher while earning her college degree.
Mrs. Whitehead was a dedicated and caring teacher who worked to recognize and nurture the special talents of each child that she taught. She especially wanted her students to become good writers by having them write creatively each day. During her retirement, she became an accomplished artist, exhibiting her paintings locally.
She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Eta Chapter - an honor society of women educators, to which she was very dedicated, serving as an officer and committee chair at different times.
Mrs. Whitehead was known for her generosity and sense of humor. Her children and her grandchildren were her life, and her favorite moments were spent with them often at the beach cottage in Fairhaven. She was a great story teller, especially of Irish Folk Tales. Her Irish heritage was very important to her and she passed on this love to her children and grandchildren.
Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Joan Pepin and her husband David, of Rochester; 2 sons, Paul B. Whitehead and his wife Suzanne, of Rochester, and James T. Whitehead and his wife Joanne, of New Bedford; 3 brothers, John O'Connor of Dartmouth, James O'Connor of Eastham and Jeremiah O'Connor of Vero Beach, Fla.; 7 grandchildren, Stephanie Cyr, Annie, Matthew and John Pepin, and Bethany, Daniel and Jillian Whitehead; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford, Saturday August 24, 2002 at 9 AM.Funeral Mass at St. Lawrence Church at 10 AM.Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours will be on Friday August 23, 2002 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.