It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Kay Mary Ross passed away peacefully Thursday, June 29, at her home in Laguna Beach at the age of 87. Her most immediate family were close to her side. The date of her death is significant because her beloved husband, Keith, also died on June 29 in 1997.
Kay is preceded in death by Keith, whom she married in 1958, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Ruth, sister Anne (Hyndman) Beentjes, and sisters-in-law Jill Hyndman, Betty (Ross) Philpott, Molly (Ross) Harvey, Barbara Ross, and Ann Ross. She is survived by her brother John Hyndman and, sons Nicholas (Lynn), Matthew (Shirley), and daughter Katie Singer (John Singer). In addition, 12 grandchildren (Caitlin, Keara, Emily, Lexie, Clara, Conor, Alex, Anne-Marie, Angela, Emma, Atticus, and Luke), six great-grandchildren (Oberon, Orion, Leon, Isabelle, Christopher, and Senan), and several nieces and nephews in Canada and New Zealand also survive her.
Kay was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1935. She graduated from Sacred Heart Girls College, top of her class, then from Canterbury University with a bachelor of arts degree and a teaching credential. It was at university that she met Keith, married, and the couple left New Zealand for a life of peripatetic travel determined by Keith’s work assignments, which included living in England, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. They eventually settled down in Laguna Beach in 1971, where they raised their four children. Kay cherished living in Laguna. She was an avid lover of nature, and Laguna’s surroundings inspired her creative energy and artistic bent while also providing her great comfort and solace in sad times. She indeed possessed a keen sensitivity to the natural world around her, be it the flowering plants in her garden, the local birds singing in the trees or the magnificent sunsets over Catalina Island.
Kay will be sadly missed by both family and her legion of friends. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was an intelligent and kind-hearted woman who possessed a wonderful sense of humor, a magnetic personality, and a sweet disposition. Her books and deep faith also greatly nourished her inner life. She provided unwavering and loving support throughout her children’s and grandchildren’s lives, in addition to being a bedrock of support for her friends.
A funeral mass for Kay will be celebrated this Saturday, July 8, at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena, 1042 Temple Terrace, Laguna Beach. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made in her name to either the Laguna Canyon Foundation (lagunacanyon.org/get-involved/donate) or Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. (P.O. Box 860, Laguna Beach, CA 92652).
