Neighbor and volunteer Kathy Hearne remembered

You may already be aware that neighbor and SPNA member Kathy Hearne passed away late last month after enduring a long illness. Kathy was a caring and dedicated person who gave her heart and soul to many important causes, and she will be missed greatly.

Following are excerpts from Kathy's obituary, which was published in a recent issue of The Tennessean:

Kathy's life was rooted in the principles of social justice and service to others. She was a tireless advocate for the disenfranchised and outcast; she was the spark behind numerous community programs in Nashville and across Tennessee.

Kathy lived her commitment to others. She was a stead-fast friend who welcomed many different people into her life and touched them all in profound but gentle ways. She was as selfless with her friends and family as she was in her commitment to social justice. She lived her principles fiercely, in her own way.

Kathy is the former administrator of the Center for Health Services at Vanderbilt University, which developed many community health clinics that flourish today. She held executive director positions at the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Tennessee Hunger Coalition and the Tennessee Network for Community Economic Development. She was vice-president of Organization Development at Alive Hospice, where she was project manager for the building of the residential hospice facility. She was Development Director at the Tennessee Justice Center and Coordinator of the Respite Care Providers Network of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. She consulted with many non-profits on matters of organizational development, administration, and advocacy, often on a volunteer basis.

Kathy co-founded the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center (now the Sexual Assault Center), Reconciliation Ministries, the Nashville Housing Fund, the YWCA Domestic Violence Program, and Mountain House (Marion, VA). Kathy often laughingly referred to herself as a non-profit entrepreneur. She volunteered at Sylvan Park Paideia School, the Low Income Housing Forum, the YWCA, Father Ryan High School and the Nashville Ulster Project. She served as a Board member of Project Return, Reconciliation Ministries, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center, Tennesseans Against the Death Penalty and Nashville Housing Fund.

Kathy was an accomplished photographer who attended Watkins College of Art & Design in Nashville, and a passionate film buff who served regularly as a film screener and volunteer for the Nashville Film Festival.

Kathy's family has asked that anyone interested in honoring her legacy support Homeplace, a community-based support program for people with disabilities. Send contributions to the following address:

Homeplace
c/o Belmont United Methodist Church
2007 Acklen Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212