Kathie Hayes Uschold

Kathie Hayes Uschold, 84, of West Chester, PA, passed away peacefully on January 26, at Morningside House of Exton, after fighting hard to recover from injuries sustained from multiple falls.

Kathie was born December 31, 1941, in Buffalo, NY, the daughter of Katherine Kurtz and Waldron S. Hayes, and sister to Waldron “Terry” Hayes, Jr.

Kathie graduated from Buffalo Seminary in 1959, where she was known for her theatrical talents and flare for fun. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo in 1963, and a teaching certification in 1965. Kathie went on to earn her Master of Arts from SUNY at Buffalo and her Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech and Hearing Association in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Kathie co-authored the book Special Education: Children with Learning Problems (Oxford University Press, 1968), which was translated into Japanese.

For over 40 years, Kathie made an indelible impact on her clients, helping countless children, previously thought unreachable, to overcome pervasive speech and behavioral challenges to gain communication skills that allowed them to reach their true potential. She spent the final years of her career passing on her knowledge as an adjunct professor of Speech-Language Pathology in the graduate program at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

On June 19, 1965, Kathie married Ronald E. Uschold, the love of her life and devoted companion. Her favorite song was “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers, because she felt it perfectly captured the life they shared over 60 years of marriage. Their journey included building homes and remarkable friendships in California, Delaware, Texas and Pennsylvania, as well as world travels to Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, and the Caribbean Islands.

Kathie is survived by her loving husband, Ronald Uschold, son, Mark Uschold, and daughters, Lori Mingione and Karen Meadows. Mark will fondly remember her Christmas Eve gatherings, where she would go above and beyond to create a warm, inviting atmosphere filled with wonderful food, classic Christmas music, and a special surprise for each family member.

Lori will forever mourn the loss of someone who was not just her mother, but her best friend. Together, they would devise and embark on good-natured shenanigans that resulted in endless laughter and inside jokes. Karen will miss being able to call her mom with the slightest accomplishment or tidbit of fun news about her son, and always be met with a shared brightness and pride.

Remaining to cherish their “Wanda” and “Nani” (Kathie always maintained she was too young for the moniker “grandma”) are Ashley Silcox, who will miss her acerbic wit, especially while watching tennis, for which she was a passionate fan, along with all Philly sports teams; Matthew Silcox, who will hold in his heart the overflowing warmth and encouragement he felt anytime he stepped inside her impeccable, magazine-cover-worthy home; and Hayden Meadows, who will smile every time he thinks of picking out a little gift from her prize drawer, which eventually turned into money being forced into his pocket, after he became a teenager.

Kathie was the type of person who could make a lifelong friend on a quick trip to the grocery store. She believed friends are family and she is survived by many who were truly treasured and, in turn, will profoundly miss her.

A private farewell was held for Kathie. Those wishing to pay tribute to her memory can make donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. She would be honored to continue helping improve the lives of children.