Obituary of Kathryn Lauer Holgate

Kathryn Lauer Holgate, age 94, a resident of Huntingdon Valley for the past 40 years and Montgomery County for 60 years, died on September 20, 2015. She was the devoted wife of the late CAPT John D. Holgate, USNR (Ret), for 28 years until his death in 1992. Born in Palmerton, PA, she was the daughter of the late Arthur Henry Lauer and the late Esther Olive Lauer. After graduating from Palmerton High School in 1939, Kathryn studied at Bucknell University and earned her bachelor's degree in 1943. She subsequently earned a master's degree at Lehigh University and completed graduate-level work in education at Temple University. She was a member of Delta Zeta sorority. Kathryn's entire working career was in education, with the majority of it at the Abington School District where she was a guidance counselor to multiple generations of students. Noteworthy among her students was Ashton B. Carter '72, currently the 25th Secretary of Defense. She retired in 2000 after 49 years of service. She is survived by her loving son and daughter-in-law: H. Richard and Laura Holgate. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, Helweg & Rowland Funeral Home, 1059 Old York Road, Abington, where friends will be received from 10:00 until the time of the service. Interment in Laurelwood Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Lehigh University, in memory of her father, Arthur H. Lauer (c/o Beth Posivak, Office of Advancement, Lehigh University, 27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015); or to the Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer (online at http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/TeamJoyce or by check made out to Avon Walk 39, sent c/o Joyce Connery, 8404 Churchside Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155).