Kitty Kocol

Jane Kocol Celebration of Life April 24, 2022 Zoom Version (tiny window for viewing)

Jane Kocol Kitty - A Slideshow

Jane Kocol Kitty Kocol - My Story (Please click to read) My Story – written by Kitty Kocol Born Katherine Mary Kocol on June 8, 1959, I was the third of six children whom Sue and Ray Kocol raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was a talker from the beginning. As I grew up in Bay View, John F. Kennedy’s assassination was the first of many tragedies I witnessed; the world seemed a caldron of the rising Civil Rights and Women’s movements in the local and national culture, and the Vietnam War was the pervasive backdrop. I was keen to assist my mom, and eager to build savings by cleaning houses, doing odd jobs and caring for neighborhood children. The Watergate scandal was the backdrop for my teen years and the family listened to the hearings while we hung off ladders restoring a grand old home on Milwaukee’s east side. As a high school senior in 1976, I left the constraints of Catholic school and joined the first wave of students who piloted a new racial integration program required of the Milwaukee Public Schools. With funds earned from painting houses and student loans, I spent four years at UW-Madison, earning a BS in Fine Arts but planning to go to law school. During my senior year, I served as the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Area Chair and to my surprise, received the Porter Butts Creative Arts Award for programming and volunteer leadership efforts. Exiting UW in a tough economy, I shelved plans for law school. I took a job as a wood sculpting instructor at a craft school/log cabin building operation in Bessemer, Michigan where I met Barry J. Stoner. We moved to Milwaukee in 1983 and married in 1985, a year during which I and best friend Amy M. Chionchio finished our second year operating a sandwich-board advertising business in downtown Milwaukee. Having learned huge lessons in serving clients, executing contracts, writing copy and creating graphic designs, I took a public relations job at Jewish Vocational Services where I helped launch agency rebranding and funding raising programs. In 1991, I joined Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin as its statewide communications director and fundraiser. _______________________________________ Our Kitty – written by family and friends Kitty began a 30 year career as a tireless public servant for social justice. She spent her work life creating and administering programs, distributing funding, shaping public policy and driving advocacy at the local, state and federal levels. • In 1995 she began work with the Task Force on Family Violence as its Executive Director, in service to victims of domestic violence. • In February of 1999 Kitty and Barry moved to Madison where she became the Executive Director of the Office of Crime Victim Services in the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice. • In 2002 she received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. There she received the Stephen Hintz Award for developing a Wisconsin model Ombudsman program for children living under the supervision of the child welfare system. • In 2003 she was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to the position of Administrator for the Division of Children and Families, in the Department of Health and Family Services. There she worked for the safety of abused and neglected children and the wellbeing of needy families. • In February of 2008 she joined Wisconsin Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to train and deploy community volunteers to visit children in foster care and advocate for them in formal court proceedings. • In March of 2012 Kitty returned to working with the State of Wisconsin as the Grant Administrator for the Emergency Food Assistance Program with the Department of Health Services, where she administered programming that supplied the statewide network of emergency food pantries, shelters and meal sites for needy households. In fall of 2022 she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from Feeding Wisconsin. In November of 2021, after nearly a year of treating oral cancer, it returned and she retired from the Emergency Food Assistance Program to tend her health. She passed away February 19, 2022. Cancer did not beat her, instead she found an opportunity to grow and discovered grace. She set off on a virtual "Love Tour" greeting people from many times and places in her life, both the good and the hard. She stretched four weeks into twelve, finding the very best in all she knew and in herself too. Kitty was a tireless champion for social justice. She shook some trees and could make it rain. She spoke truth to power, did what was needed over what was popular. She was equal parts creative and practical in problem solving. A constant touchstone of honor and integrity in disorienting times. She gave her time, expertise, and resources to others with an open generous heart. She was a talented artist, writer, seamstress and cook. She carved stunning wood sculptures. She could draw and create in many mediums from clay forms to graphic design. She was a wordsmith, equally adept in creating corporate copy or writing a card you would never throw away. She sewed beautiful garments and made plush toys and quilts for people of all ages. She made artful pies and cakes for holidays, prepared beautiful meals for family and friends. Her home was a carefully curated museum mix of quirky original art, rare books and fabulous antiques. She collected and appreciated, creating a visual feast of stunning and whimsical pieces throughout her home. Kitty saw art in life and lived life as art. She had an eye for composition and found artistic value in even of the most mundane things. She would commonly point out the beauty of light playing on surroundings or how well designed an everyday object was. She lived equally as artful. Not just the action, but the quality of the action mattered to Kitty. She made simple activities an adventure - a concert, sharing food, or even taking a walk with Kitty was a delightful experience. Kitty was intellectually curious and loved to learn. She was well read and had an exceptionally fine observant mind. Her sense of humor was refined and contagious. With her wit and insight, she could lift the mood of a room by infusing humor without being dismissive or disrespectful. She was willing to discuss anything and to listen to the opinions of those with whom she disagreed. She appreciated the opportunity to explain her position to others. _______________________________________ There is no way to summarize such a full life and a person who filled herself and all around her with wonder, knowledge, and love. If one could craft a pillar of strength and combine a thirst & curiosity for knowledge with a large dash of commitment, determination, and dedication for the greater good . . . we could begin to understand and honor Kitty Kocol. Her mind, her humor and her will were the unique combination of humanness, impactful change, and intense connection to whatever she focused on. She was fast to observe & absorb people, places and things. She was measured with her analysis of their meaning and how they fit into the world she strived to better for all. In every job, role, organization she brought her whole self. She left no rock unturned, and she knew not what it meant to “cut any corners” just to find the end or finish the journey. She rowed her boat with both paddles deeply placed in the water and she never shied from the white water. Kitten fought for the truth, the hungry, the less fortunate not because she had a job to do so . . . but because she cared, she knew what was right, she used her positions to speak for the voiceless and often forgotten. It may have consequences that challenged her own career, but it didn’t stop her from doing her best work on behalf of others. We will feel a giant void without our Kitten here on earth, but we will be blessed with her memories, her strength, her words of wisdom for the rest of our days. Kitty Kocol will live in our hearts, our minds and our souls and will always be there to help us make good choices, to fight for those less fortunate than ourselves. We can all sleep peacefully knowing there is a new powerful soul in the universe who will remain very present in our lives now and forever. Kitty Kocol is survived by her husband Barry J Stoner, her cat Major Tom, an adoring Tweenbush neighborhood and lots and lots of family, including her five siblings, her nieces and nephews, all of whom loved her deeply.

Jane Kocol Kitty the Pirate

Amy Chionchio Kitty is walking the walk and talking the talk for Milwaukee Board Walks!

Amy Chionchio The Milwaukee Board Walks "Executives" making sure the Bloody Mary's had an Old Milwaukee chaser!!

Amy Chionchio The 3 Teena's - playing tennis until we dropped!

Amy Chionchio Milwaukee Board Walks and the 2 Co-Founders - our Kitten and Amy. So much fun!!

Jane Kocol Milwaukee Board Walks

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Amy Chionchio Milwaukee Board Walks got the advertising contract to follow the Circus train across the State and promote the return of the Circus Parade in Milwaukee - resurrected after 20+ years. Kitty was driving our complimentary Circus vehicle - we lost the car magnet before got back to town. Trip of a lifetime!

Amy Chionchio Kitty and Barry!!

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Amy Chionchio Kitty & Barry!

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Amy Chionchio Kitty & Lois. . . . . always enjoying each other.

Amy Chionchio Kitty's Birthday - fun was had by all.

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Amy Chionchio We got older and wiser and had more gray hair - or not!

Amy Chionchio Kitty and Ellis Nelson - one of her many original Wisconsin artists she discovered on her journeys across the state.

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Amy Chionchio Kittens birthday - complete with Kitty masks and good friends!

Amy Chionchio Kitten's Birthday - 2019.

Amy Chionchio This is the sculpture I was working on when I met Kitty in the summer of 1978 - it was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. It will move to Door County and Jane Kocol's new home this spring.

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Amy Chionchio Sunrise on Kangaroo Lake in the summer of 2021 - a summer hang out for the Kocol's. Kitty shared her fond memories of Door County often.

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Jane Kocol Kitchen Art

Amy Chionchio The original Kitty Kocol designed sandwich board - it still hangs on my office wall with pride! Barry Stoner was the master carpenter behind the scenes - he pounded out about 20 of these boards and they were seen all over town.

Amy Chionchio One of my favorite pieces of Kitty's original art gifted to me this year. I will cherish it forever.

Jane Kocol Artwork

Jane Kocol Awards

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