KATHLEEN LOPP SMITH, was known to the CMT Community as 'Kat'. She used this version of her name, only for the CMT community and her Online CMT friends, as she said it was an identifiable, very short, easy-to-type name for those CMTers with severely disabled hands. Kat thought that this would enable those who could only type with one finger or a pointer, to contact her easily. This small gesture exemplifies Kat's love and care for people.

Sadly, Kat died September 29, 2003, at age 69. Kat was born in Seattle on October 14, 1933, to Alice McGilvery and Dwight Thomas Lopp. The youngest of five children, she was raised in Seattle and graduated in 1956 from the University of Washington with a B.A. degree and teaching certificate. During Kat's career, she taught in western Washington schools. As a teacher, she worked well with kids. She was firm but caring, and got good results especially from the "slower" students and didn't need the Principals for her discipline problems.

Kat's choice of career was evident in her talent for finding obscure or especially appropriate facts, and in her ability to convey those facts to others. Kat was a member of both the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association and CMT International. Online she was a member first of the CMT International email list, and later joined the email lists CMT2Lists, and CMTUS. She was a moderator with CMT-Support Email List since its inception August 29, 2001. She also spent many hours working with newly diagnosed CMTers in the Charcot Marie Tooth Chatroom at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Kat taught in Centralia where she met Verbeck. They married on June 5, 1960 in Seattle. She soon retired from teaching to devote her time to raising her family and providing in-home daycare for many years. They had been married for over 43 years when Kat passed away, after living in the same home in Seattle for 39 of those years.

Kat and Verbeck had two children, Conrad Neil, born in Centralia on August 11, 1961.

Besides her husband and sons Neil and Kevin (and spouse Sarianna), other survivors are brothers Tom, Don (Joan), and Ron (Elaine) Lopp, sister Ann Stemwell (Richard) and three nieces.

Kat's CMT was diagnosed late in life, later than most CMTers with Type 2 CMT. Her diagnosis only came when she was acting as care-giver for her Mother, who had a progressive form of CMT. Within the CMT community, Kat's knowledge of CMT and her ability to understand and empathize with CMTers, was famous. She made her mark in so many people's lives at a time when her voice of compassion and wisdom were so needed. Kat's teaching skills showed in many outstanding ways in the CMT community, as she taught all CMTers she met.

Kat and I first started communicating when I posted the CMT Survey on my website in 1997. I realized at once what a quiet, shy person she was, behind the computer. She readily admitted this, but appeared to most CMTers as out-going. She was very strong as well, determined to fulfill what she felt was her new role in life with CMTers. Her ability to maintain calm and keep feelings assuaged on the email lists and in the CMT chatroom was renowned. Always a voice of reason and understanding, she never stopped repeating that "CMT is different for all of us", reminding many CMTers not to make general assumptions about CMT. She always recognized how differently each one of us copes with the disease. She found that the computer gave her many joys as she continually made more international friends, that resulted in many face to face meetings.

Kat had a marriage that lasted many years and her husband attributes the longevity to the fact that they had similar childhoods and value systems. After getting to know each other, they learned that their families had even attended the same University Congregational Church in Seattle. They learned that they must have been in the same Sunday School classes in the 3rd through 7th grades. He says that they had a good, faithful, and strong partnership built on love, trust, respect, and commitment to the marriage. Anyone who knew Kat would agree with him as these traits were obvious to all who knew her.

Her attitude toward her CMT always reflected her calm yet understanding perspective of the world. Her most important activity was driving her car. She felt that driving was her only freedom from CMT. She used to talk of her walks and her membership at the zoo with other "seniors". These were very important to her in her last few years with CMT. The way she dealt with her CMT was an excellent lesson to all CMTers in how to cope with CMT with grace and dignity.

Kat became interested in the story of her paternal grandparents, Ellen and Tom Lopp, who were the first teachers at the mission school for Iñupiat Eskimos at Cape Prince of Wales in Northwest Alaska.

The story remains on Kat's and Verbeck's website: Ice Window

Among Kat's works is a photo essay, 'Tom and Ellen Lopp and the Natives of Wales, 1890-1902' in "Alaska History" (Fall 1995).

Kat was contributing editor for her great-aunt Frances Kittredge's book: "Neeluk: an Eskimo Boy in the Days of the Whaling Ships" (Alaska Northwest Books, 2001)
"Neeluk" was a nominee for Alaska School Librarians' "Battle of the Books" for grade 5-6 in 2003.

Kat was also primary editor of her grandmother's letters for "Ice Window: Letters from a Bering Strait Village, 1892-1902" (University of Alaska Press, 2001).
Among its honors are a review in Publishers Weekly in January 2002, and the

Kat was well known for sending eveyone on the email lists, 'Friday Funnies'. She usually included other 'tidbits' of information she thought were either important or funny. All CMTers on the email lists will remember those hilarious jokes about animals, or wise sayings. The following quotes she especially liked, keeping them handy to remind her what life should be:

She had a well-rounded perspective on life with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, from caregiver of her Mother to coping with CMT herself. She always wanted to help other CMTers find ways of coping with the symptoms of CMT. All who knew Kat, admired her patience, compassion, creativity, love of animals and nature, her firm but loving way of guiding others, and her special ability to help others achieve their potential.

She spent many hours online, counseling and assisting other sufferers of CMT (Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease). As well, she had many volunteer activities which allowed her to meet many people from around the world. Her membership in another International Email list, for Seniors gave her wider exposure to the people she loved to have around. Kat will be missed by all who knew her as she has touched so many lives. She was such a classy lady!

Kat was a benefactor of the Tuzzy Library (Barrow),
the village and school at Wales,
Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum (Nome),
Elmer E. Rasmuson Library (U of A Fairbanks),
Alaska Native Heritage Center (Anchorage),
Anchorage Museum of History and Art,
Alaska Native Lutheran Church (Anchorage),
Howard Rock Scholarship Fund,
and a scholarship fund for Native students at UAF.

the family asks that donations be made to the CMT Association, 2700 Chestnut St, Chester, Pennsylvania, 19013-4867,

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