Pure, genuine, beautiful, caring were among the words used to describe Kathryn Stollmeyer Wight, who died on Thursday.
She had hereditary pulmonary fibrosis and had been given two years to live five years ago.
Her daughter Sophie Wight announced her passing in a post on Facebook, saying she has transitioned on.
“This amazing woman, this kind soul, this inspiration. She brought so much beauty and purpose into this world, and now she has left it. We are heartbroken, but we are grateful, because we knew her.”
Speaking to Newsday via WhatsApp, Wight said Kathryn was fiercely protective and supportive of her family.
“When she was in your corner, she was really in it. People flocked to her for a number of reasons but they all left with a long-lasting impression because in a world of fakers, smoke & mirrors, posers and clout-chasers she was rooted in being genuine.”
She leaves behind her husband Gregory, daughters Sophie and Ada Kate, son Jeffrey Hugh, and granddaughter Sloane.
Stollmeyer Wight was born in Bourg Mulatress in Lower Santa Cruz in 1956, the only daughter of renowned West Indies cricketer Jeffrey Stollmeyer. He was shot and killed in a home invasion with his wife Sarah in 1990.
She attended the Dunross Preparatory School, and Bishop Anstey Junior and Senior schools in Port of Spain. She moved to Canada but did not complete her studies there.
She moved back to TT and became an assistant teacher at a Montessori school in Maraval. One of the parents at the school worked at BWIA (now Caribbean Airlines) and told her she could travel the world and indulge her love of art.
She joined BWIA in 1976 and worked there for 18 years, leaving in 1994. She ran a mentoring service out of her home and opened it up to people who wanted to use it for video and photoshoots.
Stollmeyer Wight assisted with and advocated for many charities, including Kids In Need of Direction, Habitat for Humanity and Women of the Soil. She raised funds & packed school bags with supplies every year for those who couldn't afford it.
She was well-known for her support of Judah Lovell, who was badly burned in a bamboo bursting incident in 2009. She assisted in raising funds towards his surgeries and contributed to the forming of a network to assist his family, initally Judah's Journey, which later evolvedd into Pay It Forward for Judah.
She was also part of the election team for Nicole Dyer-Griffith, working as her campaign manager.
Many people, while not knowing her personally, would have interacted with her on Facebook, where she posted regularly on topics ranging from politics to patriotism to injustices in the society. Others who knew her in person said she was always willing to help those in need and offer encouragement to those who needed it.
Patricia Bissessar, who runs the Angelo Bissessarsingh Virtual Museum of TT (ABVMOTT) Facebook page, said Stollmeyer Wight was a family friend, loyal supporter and foundation member of the page.
“The Bissessarsingh family cannot express the sadness we feel at this t
