Kathy Walsh

Kathy Walsh’s family has a long and generous history with the Hamilton Community Foundation. Her parents were Dr. Edward T. and Margaret A. Keating.  A memorial scholarship in their honor is held at the Hamilton Community Foundation, and it is designated for a Badin graduate pursuing a career in the medical field.  Kathy’s late husband, Denny, was involved with the Foundation, and worked on behalf of many philanthropic causes in the community. 

Now Denny and Kathy’s granddaughter, Libby Crank, a junior at Badin High School, is active with the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Committee. Kathy recently joined the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Legacy Society to provide a permanent source of support for the Foundation through her estate.

Both originally from Hamilton, Kathy and Denny raised four children in their Highland Park home, and she now has five grandchildren to enjoy.   Her friends and the volunteer work she has done at the Westover Retirement Community gift shop for nearly 40 years also keep her busy.

Kathy’s father practiced medicine in Hamilton for 45 years.  Her mother was a nurse at Mercy Hospital, and both were active in the community. Each spring, Kathy and her family have the opportunity to review the applications for the Keating scholarship.  “I am always so impressed with the student applicants,” she says. “They have over the top GPAs, they are involved in the community, and many of them work ,too.”

She recalls her Hamilton childhood, when she and her mom would board the bus to go downtown.   There were many shops and restaurants and they made a day of it.  She now enjoys seeing what she feels is a resurgence in Hamilton. “It's so nice to drive down the streets and see the new store fronts,” she says.  

Kathy enjoys watching Libby carry on the family‘s tradition of giving and community involvement. “I told Libby that her grandpa would be so proud of her, because he was interested in this,” she says, referring to community philanthropy.