Kathleen Katie (Stopulos) Lynn

Lynn, Kathleen (Stopulos), died peacefully on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with kidney cancer. Funeral Mass will be held at 12:30 P.M., Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. She was born on May 12, 1949 in Davenport, Iowa to parents Jeanne and Jim Stopulos. She was involved in a variety of activities but her passion was theater. After her graduation from Davenport Central High School, she attended Barat College in Lake Forest, IL to study theater then transferred to the University of Iowa where she pursued studies in radio, television and film. A year after living briefly in Buffalo, NY, she sold her VW bug and backpacked through Europe for three months, indulging another passion of hers: travel. She then returned to Davenport broke but happy and worked for her fathers movie theater business. In 1975, she met the love of her life, Rick Lynn and they were married on September 17, 1976 in Davenport, Iowa. They packed up the moving truck right after the wedding and moved to Wichita where they had their two children, Erin and Brody. They have made Wichita their home ever since. She was very active in the Junior League of Wichita where she served as president in 1994-95, and among other things; chaired the first Race for the Cure in 1989-90, co-chaired Holiday Galleria in 2008-09, and chaired the Headquarters Renovation in 2010. She also served on the Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors of the Association of Junior Leagues International. In acknowledgement of her dedication over the years, the League recognized her work by naming the kitchen in her honor, the Katie Lynn Kitchen. She was elected to three terms on the Eastborough City Council and was a participant in Leadership Wichita where she was a presenter for several years. She was president of the board at Communities in Schools and the Sedgwick County Family and Youth Commission. She served on the board of Ronald McDonald Charities of Wichita, Wichita A.C.T.S. on Truancy and StepStone. Her commitment to the mission of StepStone, which is to provide transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence, encouraged her to take on the newly established role of Director of Development, where she served for two years. When the position of Executive Director of Arts Partners became available, she relished the opportunity to return to her love of the arts and her commitment to the community. Her work at Art Partners earned her recognition not only as one of the twenty 2012 Wichita Business Journals Women in Business, but also as the recipient of the Wichita Arts Council Arts Educator Award in 2014. She was preceded by Ray and Ruth Lynn and survived by her husband, Rick; daughter, Erin Fulghum (Mark); son, Brody Lynn (Ashley); grandchildren, Sophia, Elaina, Callie Fulghum, Harrison Lynn; parents, Jeanne and Jim Stopulos; brothers, Pat Stopulos (Kathy), Mike Stopulos (Mary Fran), Tom Stopulos (Cindy); in-laws, Terry Lynn (Susan); numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial has been established with Arts Partners, 201 N. Water Ste. #300, Wichita, KS 67202. Downing Lahey Mortuary East.