Fairbanks, Kathryn M. of Roslindale passed away on Friday, February 27, 2026. She is survived by her beloved Nephew Robert, Niece Renata, and Brother-in-law, Robert Roskopf. Kathryn is predeceased by her “baby sister” Florence Roskopf, and parents, Anna and Charles A. Fairbanks. Kathryn was a lifelong Boston Public Elementary School Teacher, devoted parishioner of Holy Name Church, and Volunteer for Massachusetts Archeological Society and Robbins Museum in Middleboro.
Kathryn loved traveling: Egypt, Israel, and Turkey were only a few of the places she’s visited. Her early interest in Archeology and ancient locations stayed with her throughout her life. Innate curiosity fueled her desire to continuously learn and to teach, not only her elementary students, but anyone who was open to discovering new information, and she did that with most of her days. Friends have often remarked on how she’d introduced them to something they otherwise might never have known.
Kathryn also loved language. She translated works of Charles de Foucauld, from the original French, edited by Reverend Leonard Tighe, “St. Charles de Foucauld meditates on the Psalms: The tool shed in Nazareth (A Collection of 58 Psalms, written in 1896 during his years at the Poor Clare Covenant).
Aside from modern languages, she also studied some of the earliest ones discovered so far, including Arabic and Hieroglyphs. Similarly, evolving technology fascinated her throughout life: Her then, new Apple 2e, acquired after a likely thorough read of Consumer Reports, also fed her then child nephew’s budding technological growth for computer language, such as Basic. Meanwhile, her young niece was thrilled to “cross the street” in Frogger, urging on her innate desire for the freedom of driving, that Kathryn also had.
One of Kathryn’s many facets, was riding her yellow moped through Boston towns and to The Beethoven, where she did most of her elementary teaching. When her moped retired, she gleefully drove her Chrysler LeBaron, with the top down. She loved her vehicles, and spoke often of her first, an almost portable pink and white Nash Metropolitan. She also loved her kitties, who she swore she’d see again one day.
She never wanted to be bored in retirement, so luckily her many interests, spiritual group, choir membership, researching, as well as an open ear for her friends, to name a few, never let that happen.
Alzheimer’s drastically altered her extremely independent life, into something else with many hills and valleys, and ultimately brought out other facets of her being that had never previously shown, such as an impassioned love for Frank Sinatra’s music, to be played daily on her bedside Alexa. Those who knew her before Alzheimer’s, knew well enough that Sinatra never came close to ever broaching any single moment in her life, prior. Still, she came to love him so much that "news" of his passing, being new to her, although he’d have been 120 otherwise, bothered her enough to voice it. She read his biography, and many of her many books during this time, because she could always still read, even if it was the same excerpt throughout the week, she enjoyed learning it anew. And all these facets are her, because we change, and so her passing from her earthly life, is yet another facet.
Visitation at the P.E. Murray-F.J. Higgins, George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 2000 Centre St. West Roxbury on Wednesday, March 4, from 5-8pm. Funeral from the funeral home on Thursday, March 5, at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass in Holy Name Church, West Roxbury at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury.