Mrs. Katharine Parker Stell

Katharine Parker Stell died on August 21, 2026, in Lenox, Massachusetts, surrounded by loving family. She was 96 years old. Born in Brooklyn, New York on January 15, 1930, to Rosalie Geer Parker and William Baylies Parker, she held a lifelong affection for her Brooklyn roots. After graduating from Connecticut College in 1951, she continued her art studies at Pratt Institute and then worked as a copy writer at the J Walter Thompson advertising agency in New York. In 1954 she married Ralph Waltman Stell Jr, a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. Their life together took them from California to Rhode Island, England, Florida, and Virginia, eventually settling with their three children in Kensington, Maryland, where they were active members of Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church. Kathy and Ralph enjoyed classical music, ballet, and opera in the Washington, DC area, especially at their beloved Kennedy Center. They both enjoyed birdwatching, which became a focus for some of their many trips abroad. Kathy volunteered in the community, including in a multi-year study at the National Institutes of Health and tutoring English to immigrants. Married for 56 years, Kathy was widowed in 2011. She moved to Lenox, Massachusetts in 2018 to be near her daughters. A fountain of quips, quotes and musical memories, Kathy had a vivid and emphatic sense of delight and sly humor. She is survived by daughter Laura Stell and her partner Russell Greco, son Ralph Benjamin Stell and his wife Julie Stell, and daughter Elizabeth Stell and her husband Bill Matthiesen, along with granddaughters Marianna Stell and Rebecca Morton, and great-granddaughters Josephine and Aylin Morton. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Ralph, along with her brother William Baylies Parker Jr and sister Rosalie Parker Campbell. Our family expresses our deep gratitude to Kathy's dear friend Rose Marie Ladley and the warm, caring staff at Kimball Farms Life Enrichment Program and Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center. Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Kathy's memory may be made to Mass Audubon (Pleasant Valley/Berkshires) or Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, Maryland.

Mrs. Katharine Parker Stell

January 15, 1930 - August 21, 2026