(1941-2026)

As the hands of God, the sacred potter, mold and shape who we are, so too Kathleen molded, shaped and enlightened our minds and spirits as we stood before her soft, reflective artwork in pictures and note cards, calling us into her world of creativity. The French novelist Marcel Proust wrote, “Only through art can we get outside of ourselves and know another’s view of the universe.” Kathleen gave us that view because she gave of herself.

In her homily preached at Sister Kathleen Voss’s funeral, Sister Patty Harvat was honoring a talented artist whose creative endeavors included acrylic and oil painting, calligraphy, photography, and even digital artwork – and who, in her ministry as a mental health therapist, knew how to find the beautiful “art” which lay under a person’s exterior self.

Kathleen was born on March 9, 1941, in Detroit to Henry and Shirley (Mallis) Voss. She had three older siblings, Sally, Dan, and Diane, and two younger ones, Paul, born four years after her, and Tim, born six years after Paul and “frequently referred to as ‘Tiny Tim,’” she wrote in her autobiography.

Henry was born in Chicago, but after his mother died his father moved the family to Detroit, while Shirley was born in Ontario, Canada, and adopted by a couple living in the U.S.

Henry was mechanically gifted and grew up to become first a typesetter for a print shop and then a toolmaker. “He also was one who loved to do ‘spontaneous’ things with his family, which created more than one funny story,” Sister Kathleen wrote in her autobiography – although she did not elaborate further.

Shirley was in poor health for much of her life and even became bedridden at one point, but when she was able to, she could play the piano and the organ by ear and loved to sing. “She sang throughout the day while doing her housework or cooking our meal,” Sister Kathleen wrote. “Her singing constantly gave me great delight. She had a great sense of humor and always enjoyed having laughs with the family.”

Read more about Sister Kathleen (PDF)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Services, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.

Recording of Sister Kathleen's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Kathleen's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

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