116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Katherine Pavlis Porter
Katherine Pavlis Porter
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Katherine was born to Evelyn and John Pavlis on Sept. 11, 1941 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John enlisted in the Navy and was killed in WWII. In 1947 Evelyn married Jack Greedy who was Kathy’s loving and supportive father throughout his life. Kathy had an active and happy childhood in Cedar Rapids attending camp and enjoying a loving family and a wide circle of friends. She exhibited a talent for art at a young age, took private lessons and had the support and encouragement of her high school art teachers. In 1959 she enrolled at Colorado College finishing with an art degree and went on to study at Boston University. Kathy was married and divorced from Stephen Porter in the 1960s. She received honorary doctorate degrees from Colby College and Bowdoin College in the 1990s. A hardworking prolific contemporary artist, her works were exhibited in numerous galleries in Boston, New York, New England, Santa Fe, London and Germany.
Throughout her life she was very passionate in helping underserved children and those in need and searching for peace, devoting her energy to numerous community causes. After spending many years of her life in Maine and New York, she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in September 2023 where the weather was more compatible with her debilitating arthritis. She loved the sun, the warmth and the Mexican culture. In March of 2024 she had a show of 40 of her paintings at the LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe. Her spirit was undaunted and she continued to work on a large painting until her recent heart attack. On April 15 Kathy suffered a heart attack and could not recover from the damage. She died peacefully at home on April 22 surrounded by family and friends. She leaves behind a brother, Ned Greedy (Pamela), nephews Chad Greedy, John Greedy (Courtney), Michael Greedy, a niece, Katherine Greedy Lapotka (Joey) and multiple great-nephews and -nieces, along with a sister Karen Pavlis Sielaff and nephews Jason Sielaff (Kathleen) and Alexander Sielaff. Her family and friends will deeply miss her sense of humor, her generosity, her unique colorful paintings and her strong artistic spirit. She will live in our hearts forever.
To view her recent artwork visit: https://lewallengalleries.com/show/lewallen-galleries-katherine-porter
Daily Newsletters