Catharine Helen Talbot

Catharine "Kay" Leibold Talbot was born March 14, 1920. She and her two siblings grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois in a family that appreciated education, the outdoors, music and animals. As a lifelong learner, Kay excelled in school and was an accomplished violinist.

Kay attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, earning her Bachelor's degree in physiology and enjoyed her association with the Alpha Phi sorority. During that time, she worked for a medical researcher in the development of the Mohs procedure for skin cancer treatment. While at the UW, she met and married the future Dr. Allan E. Talbot. During WWII they resided at Great Lakes Naval Station. Following the war, they moved their family to the Fox River Valley where they spent the next two decades raising their eight children in "The Big Red House" on the lake in Neenah.

As a devoted mother, she was closely involved in her children's school activities, as well as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Scouting was her lifelong avocation culminating in an executive leadership with the Fox Valley Council Girl Scouts.

Kay enjoyed the second half of her life in Appleton. She rekindled her musical interests that included singing in two church choirs, the Y-Nots, and Sweet Adelines. She made lifelong friends and together, they traveled the country performing.

She loved camping and the great outdoors. She and her family built a cabin in the Northwoods which became the hub for family gatherings, creating memories, and a legacy for future generations.

As a lifelong sports fan, Kay enthusiastically supported the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers from the days of Alan Ameche and Badger Rose Bowls to Bart Starr and the Ice Bowl. She took no phone calls during the games.

With the help of her family and good neighbors, Kay was able to live independently in her own home with her pets until the tender age of 102. In August of 2022, she moved to an assisted living center in Stevens Point to be nearer her daughter and additional family. She died peacefully in her sleep on February 1, 2024. She will be missed by her eight children, their spouses and families, along with many special nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

The Pisarski Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family. Online condolences may be sen t by visiting www.pisarskifuneralhome.com