Kathi, you are gone from this life, but you will not be forgotten.

I liked your sense of humor and quick wit.  You were one of the smartest women I knew, but you also had a great heart.  Caring about and for people made you perfect for public service.  I know you worked as a nurse in your first career, I am glad you found a second and third that kept you in and around Washington DC.

We worked together in Congresswoman Jackson Lee's office along with a lot of good people.  As Chief of Staff you took great care to make sure we got what we needed to do our work well. 

You did not meet strangers--or at least they were not strangers for long.  It would be nice if more people at the level you worked could be as much fun to speak with and as great at bringing people together.

I do not know if someone has thanked you for your work to raise funds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial--but just in case--for us and the generations who will see it--THANK YOU!

Your life was well spent--you got a lot done.

Peace to you Kathi

I knew i was one of her closest friends, turns out there were 2,851 other closest friends. It is simply amazing that Kathy had so many close and dear friends that all felt like they were the closest. My friend gave me the warmest and best hugs when we would greet, she would laugh that great laugh and start talking about the old days drinking red wine in the lobby of the Doubletree, the inaugural of George W. Bush gala that her and i attended, counting the 9 black people in the room of 2000 or the Black Caucus days. I learned about her love of the red soled shoes, and i learned of her love for her friends and family. What an unselfish person Kathy was. She would apologize if she came to Houston and did not make the time to see me, it was as if i was incredibly important to her. I was, and so was all of the other 2,851 best  friends. She made all of us feel like number one.

Darryl King

Kathi Wilkes was my dearest best friend and an integral member of our family. She was my sister, always there for me and me for her, as we tackled life’s adventures-the ups and the downs for a period of time that spanned over 3 decades.

I met Kathi at Howard University. She was enrolled in the School of Communications; I worked there in the Office of Student Activities; had planned a ski trip for the Thanksgiving Break to Montreal, Canada and Kathi signed up to go. This was preseason time and the rates were more affordable for the students.  Unfortunately, at this time, there was no snow.  So imagine a ski trip with no snow.  It seemed like everybody was giving me grief…and then came Kathi to my rescue: consoling and armed with a bottle of spirits…She and that really helped me to recognize that I was not Mother Nature and thus, not in control of the weather…so Don’t Worry, Be Happy  -- that was one of the theme songs she impressed upon me.

From that time forward, we just connected with each other and remained consistently so, through out the years.

We had our wild and crazy single girl days in DC, travels, sharing in our professional conquests, friends, and associates. My marriage to Steven Watkins in 1987 added to her family a new brother and godchild, Reba.

She really lived her life to the fullest; constantly exploring America and the world. She and I went to Park City Utah and Vermont on ski trips: Italy and the Bahamas; as well as several trips to Martha’s Vineyard-just to chill. Time does not permit the stories I could tell about our adventures, but with Kathi, there was never a dull moment.

Lately, we had begun to mellow, at least I did.  We would get together and talk about our spiritual growth; what we had planned to do in the next phases of our lives; updates on her new found ventures, friends and conquests.

Finally, I remember Kathi as a strong Black woman, who was always loving, giving and helping others, almost to a fault.  She was truly a blessing in our lives.