Katherine “Kat” Forsythe, 78, of Ann Arbor, MI, stepped bravely and peacefully into the energy of the universe on August 22, surrounded by family and friends.
Kat was born April 21, 1948 in Ferndale, MI, to Dorothy and Carl Forsythe, who gave her a happy childhood punctuated with some of her favorite lifetime memories: summers with sand on her toes and wind in her hair in Pentwater, Michigan. She graduated from Ferndale High School and the University of Michigan, where she pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma, majored in speech and communications, and met William “Bill” Krauss, whom she married on August 15, 1970. They soon welcomed two daughters, Kate and Beth. She divorced in 2004 and married Dave “Lars” Gunstrom on January 8, 2022.
Nothing about Kat was shy. With a personality that entered any room five minutes before she did, she radiated charm, laughed loudly and often, and was never seen without a great pair of earrings. Her genuine curiosity made everyone around her feel seen, heard, and special. She loved big water, fast cars, fancy clothes, bright lipstick, classical music, dark chocolate, cheeky wordplay, and most of all, her husband, daughters, and friends. She was curious, opinionated, a clever gift giver, and always willing to drop everything for her loved ones when they needed her.
Kat had a boundless and palpable love for her family. She never missed a sporting event, a school play, or an opportunity to tell her daughters she loved them. Each year she spent months making personalized board games with family trivia and an annual photo board for Christmas. Kat also found time to earn a Masters Degree in Social Work with a focus on human sexuality, which she put to work helping people understand and safely explore their sexuality at all phases of life. After her divorce, she left behind the careful script for women of her generation and embraced the single life in San Francisco, where she revelled in traveling by ferry and traversing the hills in sensible but stylish boots.
Kat also loved the open road. After her daughters graduated, she splurged on a speed-yellow Porsche 911 that she zoomed around everywhere from the German Autobahn to the race car test track to the redwood forests of northern California. You should see the photos of her from those days, a bright yellow streak among the giants. Freedom on wheels. As heartbroken as we are, we smile at imagining the freedom she feels now.
Kat is survived by her husband, Dave; daughters Kate and Beth; and brothers Greg and Tom.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to charities championing causes close to her heart: Planned Parenthood and RAINN.
Kat was a loyal Rotarian for 24 years in San Francisco and Ann Arbor.
