Mary Catherine “Kate” Lapham

Mary Catherine “Kate” Lapham of Saline, formerly of Tecumseh and St. Louis, passed away Saturday, May 2, at the Saline Evangelical Home, where she had been a resident since 2017. Her death followed nearly a lifetime of living with Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare inherited neurodegenerative disease.

Kate was born June 6, 1962, at Herrick Memorial Hospital in Tecumseh, the third daughter of Herb and Norma (Boxrud) Lapham. She graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1980 and received her Bachelor of Arts with double majors in business administration and computer and information systems in 1985 from Siena Heights College, now Siena Heights University.

Kate distinguished herself academically in both high school and college. Shortly after Siena’s commencement, she was hired by Electronic Data Systems and moved to Troy. In 1991, she continued her career with EDS in St. Louis, Mo., where she worked as a project specialist analyst for the General Motors Midwest and North account, the largest account managed by the St. Louis Solution Center. She also was a member of the GM Portugal Team. She retired from EDS in 2003 at the age of 41 and continued to work part time for Wamhoff Accounting Services for eight more years.

Although she spent most of her life dealing with the relentless progression of FA, Kate pushed through every obstacle it placed in her path. She was active with St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in Florissant, Mo., where she helped with RCIA and adult religious education. She was a member of the St. Louis chapter of Handicap Encounter Christ for a dozen years, writing and maintaining the organization’s newsletter and directing many HEC retreats. She served on the board of Disability Ministries for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and on the board of Support Dogs, Inc., Missouri, for three years. She also competed in therapeutic riding events in St. Louis and volunteered with Girl Scouts of America as a troop leader.

Support Dogs was a lifelong passion for Kate. She had two support dogs, Libby and Lando, during her years in St. Louis, and her companions were among the great loves of her life.

Left to both mourn and celebrate this life lived between the dashes, as the old saying goes, are four sisters, Renee (Bill) Collins of Raisin Township, Lisa Heusted of Otisville, Kristin Garrison of Onsted and Anne Micol of Indianapolis; a brother, John Lapham of Onsted; an aunt, Ricki Boxrud of Ann Arbor; an uncle, James (Liz) Boxrud of Mississippi; seven nephews, Jeff (Shelly) Collins, Chad (Amanda) Heusted, Eric Heusted, Kevin (Abby) Micol, Sean Micol, Dustin Garrison, and Sam Garrison; nieces, Lisa Watterson, Meghan Lapham-Hailes, Morgan Lapham-Hailes, Ginger (Todd) Warner, Tiffany (Andrew) Warner and Aubrey Garrison, several great-nieces and nephews, and a host of cousins, as well as her St. Louis “family,” with whom she forged lifelong friendships. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Carol Lapham; a brother, Rich Lapham; two brothers-in-law, Stephen Heusted and James Garrison; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon Wednesday, May 13, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Tecumseh. Interment in Brookside Cemetery will follow the service. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church, followed by a Scripture Service.

Memorial contributions may be made to Support Dogs, Inc. of St. Louis, the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance or Arbor Hospice. The family of Kate Lapham would like to extend special thanks to the staff at EVH in Saline for their devoted and patient care and to Arbor Hospice for its support in Kate’s final days.

Arrangements by Purse and Son, Tecumseh.