Kathryn Ada Barber DeMott, age 98 years, former longtime resident of Hunterdon County, NJ, died peacefully on Friday, April 29, 2022, at the home of her daughter, Carol, with whom she had resided for the past several years in Oreland, PA.

Born on November 21, 1923, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, the only child of the late John Maurice and Anna Elizabeth Butler Barber, Kathryn was raised in Clinton, NJ, and was a lifelong Hunterdon County, NJ, resident.

A 1942 graduate of Clinton High School, Kathryn would follow her passion for education and attended Trenton State Teachers College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She would continue on to teach seventh and eighth grade math and science for the East Amwell School District for many years where she sought not only to teach the knowledge behind the subject, but the practical uses that the students could apply the knowledge to in their everyday lives. She made learning fun, and in doing so formed a bond with her students that made her widely respected and cherished by her colleagues, students, and their parents.

A fierce advocate for her students, Kathryn was also an ardent supporter of the local community at large. When it was determined that the area needed a hospital, Kathryn was one of the first to go door to door to raise the much-needed funds for what would become the Hunterdon Medical Center. She also was a top-notch fund raiser for the Jenny Haver Scholarship Fund and along with her late husband, Kenneth, was the caretaker of Union Cemetery of Grandin for many years. It was in this role where she and Kenneth helped many navigate some of life’s most difficult moments.

Meeting her future husband Kenneth in the 1940’s, the couple would wed at the Clinton United Methodist Church on March 24, 1950 and enjoy sixty-eight years of love until his passing in 2019. Their union would bring them a daughter, Carol, and a son, David, who were loved by their parents immeasurably and instilled in them the mantra to live life with passion and a sense of selfless service to others.

Having a strong faith, Kathryn grew up at 21 Halstead Street in Clinton, NJ, directly across from the Clinton United Methodist Church. This shaped her upbringing tremendously and inspired in her heart a true love for her savior, Jesus Christ. She was a longtime member of the Flemington Presbyterian Church, Flemington, NJ, and was a proud member of its Woman’s Association.

In addition to education and community service, Kathryn loved to ride her bicycle, and she and Kenneth traveled all over the United States, and even Holland, on bicycle tours! She loved ancestry and was keen on learning about her family heritage. This passion, in a roundabout way, led her to take a job in 1990 as a census taker, as she loved to meet new people and learn about their history and what made them unique and special.

She was a proud and longtime member of the Hunterdon County Retired Teachers Association, the NJEA, the NEA, the Hunterdon County YMCA, and the Sidney Grange.

The poet Robert Frost once wrote, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” Kathryn was just that to not only her students, but to her family, friends, and to all with whom she came into contact. She strove to ignite each person to find and to use their God given talents and by doing so, leaves a legacy of inspiration for all reading this to follow. Thank you, Kathryn, for illuminating the path forward by your humble words and actions. Rest now, in the sweetest of peace.

Surviving are a son and daughter-in-law, David and Carol DeMott; a daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Robert Pearce; her grandchildren, Kimberly and her husband, Jesse Johnson, James and his wife, Brittany Pearce, Kristen Pearce, Clayton DeMott and Aja Demott-Sorenson and her husband, Mark Sorenson; eight great grandchildren, Ada, Audrey, Addison, Lewin, Boadie, Hayes, Max, and Noah; several extended family members; and her canine companion who watched over her lovingly and protectively, Mandy.

Kathryn will lie in repose on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A celebration of Kathryn’s life officiated by Rev. Amy E. S. Lincoln will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

Burial next to her cherished husband, Kenneth, will take place at Union Cemetery of Grandin, Race Street, Pittstown, NJ, and to which all are welcome.

You are encouraged to visit Kathryn’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to Union Cemetery of Grandin which she and Kenneth oversaw for many, many years. Checks may be made payable to “Union Cemetery of Grandin” and mailed to the cemetery c/o Charles Eichlin, 12 Ward Street, Frenchtown, NJ 08825.

____________________________

Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”