Kathryn Elizabeth Beeler

Kathy Beeler left this planet to move on to her next adventure on Sunday, February 27, 2022. She transitioned peacefully in her Kanab home, surrounded by love.

She was born on November 21, 1953 in Philadelphia, PA. to James W. and Elizabeth H. Beeler.  She was their second of four children.  Kathy’s father was in the Navy so she grew up living all over the country.  During her youth, she lived in Texas, California, Iowa, Virginia, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, and finally Texas.

She attended Arlington High School in Arlington, Texas until 1971. After high school, she worked various jobs eventually becoming the manager at several Cheddars restaurants in Arlington. While working there she pursued her college degree in Communications and became the Director of Texas Hall at the University of Texas at Arlington.

After several years at Texas Hall, she left and started an Antique store in Grand Prairie, Live Oak Antiques. After a couple of years running the Antique store she decided to sell the store and open several booths in various Antique Malls in the DFW area. She also became a Master Gardener, contributing to her love of gardening.

During this time, she discovered her true calling, the care of unwanted and abandoned animals. Initially it was just cats. She started the UTA Campus Cat Coalition, and was instrumental in the Trap Neuter Return movement (TNR) in Arlington and surrounding areas. Trapping feral cats, spaying/neutering the cats and returning them back where they came from has saved countless feline lives. Kathy eventually expanded her horizons to include any and all animals who might need any kind of support.

It was this love of animals that finally drew her to move to Kanab, Utah (the location of Best Friends Animal Society). She packed up her animals in a trailer and moved everything to Kanab in the middle winter of 2016.  

Once she got settled in, Kathy started her volunteer work at Best Friends. A year or so later, she started a health food store, Kanab Natural Market in Kanab. Unfortunately, after a few years, she decided to sell the store due to ill health. 

Kathy is preceded in death by her father Jim and her mother Beth. Kathy is survived by her brother Jim and his wife Linda, her sister Karen and her husband Wayne, her sister Patricia and her husband Andrew. She is also survived by 11 nieces and nephews and many grand nieces and nephews, her best friend and caregiver, Char, and her many fur babies. 

Kathy would be proud to know that by her donation, (thanks to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, Brain Support Network, and the Mayo Clinic), her brain will advance research, understanding, and awareness. Contributions in memory of  Kathryn Beeler can be made to the Brain Support Network, PO Box 7264, Menlo Park, CA 94026, www.brainsupportnetwork.org.

Better yet, if you cared about Kathy Beeler, consider adopting a plant-based lifestyle, and Go Vegan. She would love nothing more.