Catherine Rabey ’52 Kloote
Catherine A. Kloote was born in Brooklyn New York in 1930. She graduated from Bayside High School in Long Island where she won awards for academic excellence and participated in Synchronized Swimming.
She attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she was in the Spanish Club and met her college sweetheart, William J. Kloote, Jr. They were married in 1951 and had four children. The family lived in Grand Rapids and several suburbs around Detroit for many years. After William retired, they split their time between Michigan and Palm City, Florida.
Catherine died on her birthday, June 16, 2019 of complications associated with cancer. She was 89 years old. In some religions it is considered a special blessing to pass away on your birthday, symbolizing that you have completed your life in the most perfect way possible. This most certainly applies to Catherine. She was extremely capable and independent. Early in their marriage, Catherine was challenged with raising the children and managing the household when William was frequently out of town as a contractor. Later, she was a “Swimming Mom” supporting all the children in competitive swimming. Catherine was also involved with many other hobbies and activities; sewing, cooking, canning, VCR programming, boating, waterskiing, furniture refinishing, gardening, wallpapering and many others – she could do it all!
Catherine was well known as a pet lover, especially with her cats. Even William would joke that he’d like to come back to life as one of her cats. Catherine was well known to adopt cats from friends and family. The latest loves of her life were Coco and Kieko. Coco passed away several years ago and Kieko held on past 20 years. Catherine was an avid supporter of the Humane Society and took the time to know all the pets in the neighborhood. Catherine was preceded in death by William, who passed in October 1995. Since then she has been self-sufficient with owning homes and carrying on family traditions, including holiday dinners and boating. She was especially fond her friends in Palm City, many of whom she referred to as her “Florida Children.”
Catherine is survived by her children, Dr. Pamela Kloote of San Antonio, TX, Dr. William Kloote of Livonia, MI, Robert Kloote of Huntsville, AL, and Laura Voshen of Livonia, MI; her brother, Daniel Rabey of Elk Grove, CA; her sister, Diane Mitchell of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; nine grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.