Kathleen C. Witte

La Crosse, WI/Poughkeepsie, NY

Kathleen “Kathy” C. Witte, 96, died Saturday, January 16, 2021 in La Crosse, WI after a brief illness.

The daughter of the late Charles and Alice Callahan, she was born December 17, 1924 in Cortland, NY. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelors Degree and immediately joined the Pharmaceutical Company, Bristol Myers in Syracuse, NY, where she oversaw the production of penicillin, so vital to the war effort.

On June 14, 1947 she married the love of her life, Robert A. Witte. He preceded her in death in 2010.

Aside from raising a family, Kathy also worked in a variety of fields. These included research laboratory technician, sales associate in retail and office manager of a dental office. Over the years she lived with her husband and family in Syracuse and Buffalo, NY; Elgin, IL and Poughkeepsie, NY. Most recently she had been a resident of La Crosse, WI.

A skilled bridge player and dedicated exercise enthusiast, no workout was deemed complete without a coffee and donut finisher at AllSports in Poughkeepsie. Kathy was also known to be a loving and beloved daughter, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She is survived by her son, Robert S. Witte and his spouse, Joan of La Crosse; daughters, Melissa A. Coleman and her husband, Bill of Grand Rapids, MN and Patricia S. Homan and her husband, Tom of Fremont, OH. She is also survived by six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Per her wishes, there will be no services, but the family will gather at a later post-pandemic date for a celebration of life. Her ashes will be interred next to her husband’s remains in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Wappinger’s Falls, NY.

The family wishes to send heartfelt thanks to the staff of Gundersen Health System and especially the Palliative Care team who provided such compassionate care for her during her last hospitalization.