Kathryn Wendel Harnish

     Kathryn Wendel Harnish, age 98, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2025, surrounded by her family. Known by all as “Kitty,” she brought endless joy and good cheer to her family and community.
     Born in Pennsylvania, she was the sixth and youngest child of Phillip and Martha Wendel—last but certainly not least. Smart as a whip, endlessly charming and clever, Kitty shone in every endeavor she undertook. She attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and completed her secondary education at Lancaster Catholic High School. After graduation, she took college courses at Franklin & Marshall College, but the war years led her to work as a long-distance telephone operator.
     In addition to raising four children, Kitty held various jobs throughout her life. She began as a switchboard operator for the Bell Company in 1944 and continued in that role in Norman, Oklahoma, after the war, supporting her husband Reno as he pursued an engineering degree on the GI Bill. After relocating to San Diego in 1957, Kitty worked at the Sears Roebuck department store on University Avenue in Hillcrest until it closed.
     Kitty loved to read. At the age of 94, blind in both eyes but undeterred, she began listening to two to three audiobooks per week. She loved discussing literature and was a member of several book clubs. This deep love of books motivated her to complete a bachelor's degree in literature with honors at San Diego State College at the age of 45 — all while working full time.
     She was endlessly resourceful. Faced with a cross-country car trip with three noisy children under the age of seven, she mastered the situation by giving each child a new small toy each day. If anyone acted up, they risked losing that day’s prize — a strategy that kept chaos at bay.
     Kitty was indomitable. One Thanksgiving, she prepared a full holiday meal for her family of six in a tiny camping trailer in the middle of the Anza-Borrego Desert. A lifelong Catholic, Kitty sang in the church choir and lovingly passed her faith on to her children. She was a devoted parishioner at Saint John of the Cross Church in Lemon Grove (1959–1978), Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Ramona (1979–2002),and continued to attend daily Mass at the Good Samaritan Retirement Community in Rancho San Diego.
     Another joy in her life was trail riding throughout the Cleveland National Forest with her beloved husband, Reno, of sixty-two years. Together they traveled extensively, visiting Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Sweden, as well as many destinations across the United States.
     Kitty was fun to be around—you couldn’t keep her off the dance floor. She loved card games, especially Bridge, and also played Pinochle and Blackjack. She met her second husband, Norm Spindler, at the Monte Vista retirement community. They married in their late 80s and shared joyful years playing bridge and enjoying each other’s company.
     Kitty is survived by four children, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. A Mass in her honor will be celebrated at the chapel of the Good Samaritan Retirement Community. She will be interred beside her first husband, Reno, at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please perform an act of kindness—Kitty was the kindest person many of us ever knew, and she’ll be smiling down from heaven. Alternatively, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.