Katherine Stockwell Gilbert

Katherine Stockwell Gilbert, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, died with family by her side at Casey House in Maryland on Dec. 17, 2021, due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Katie is survived by her daughter, Laura, her sisters, Ellen Owens (John) and Mary Zeitler (Gregg), her nieces, Elizabeth Duggan (Tim) and Leora Gilbert, nephews, Michael (Bekki), Charles (Katie), Peter (Stephanie) Zeitler, nine grandnieces and nephews (with one on the way), her ex-husband, Andrew Gilbert (Jane), her in-laws, Joan, Michael, Elliot (Iris) Gilbert, her dear friend, James McArdle, and her 16-year-old puppy/daughter, Lucy.

Katie was born on Oct. 9, 1947 to Charles and Mary Stockwell in Williamsport. She graduated from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland in 1968 after attending the Sorbonne in Paris. She worked in real estate and the bakery business before finishing her career as Director of Operations at the Ross Center, a mental health practice.

She was a devoted mother and friend, always going over the top for those she cared about. She loved Pepsi, pretzels, Paris, New York, and her tiny dog, Lucy, whom she would drive to different neighborhoods to walk so they both wouldn’t get bored. She was profoundly curious, which led her to read voraciously and study religion, resulting in her eventual conversion to Judaism.

Over the years, Katie opened her home to family, friends, friends of friends, and many relative strangers, including a number of recent arrivals to the United States. She honored the family tradition of writing beautiful thank you notes and left post-it notes all over to remind her family and friends of her love. She was an extraordinarily kind, selfless, and big-hearted soul.

A memorial service will be held later this summer. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to any place you like–she’d trust your judgment and be honored to be a catalyst for your patronage. If you’re looking for ideas, she particularly liked the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Alzheimer’s Association.

If you have any memories of Katie, please share them with Laura at laurakgilbert@gmail.com.