Catherine Curtis Allard, known to most as Kay, passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on August 23, 2024, with family by her side at her home in Manchester-by-the Sea, MA.
Born in Boston on January 30th, 1925, Kay was the middle daughter of Louis Curtis, a resident partner at Brown Brothers and Harriman and Mary Sloan Colt Curtis of Boston. She was predeceased by her four sisters, Mary “Polly” Burrus, Fanny Luke, Laura Cutler and Louisa Gustafson.
Kay was a graduate of Westover School in Connecticut, and as a young independent woman, Kay lived and worked in New York, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island. She eventually lived in Cambridge and worked many years for Dr. Carter Rowe, a prominent orthopedic surgeon in Boston. Kay was well loved by Dr. Rowe’s patients and well respected as a flawless typist and self-reliant woman.
Kay met Herbert K. Allard, and they were married in 1965. They spent their married life in Manchester-by-the Sea, where they were well known in town for their beautiful flower and abundant vegetable gardens, and for their treasured pointer dogs, often eyed by neighbors running free through town or on Singing Beach. Together they created a nature loving, balanced marriage, each pursuing their own interests and delighting together in family gatherings, social events and travel. Herb passed away in 2012.
Throughout her healthy, long life, Kay thoroughly enjoyed playing tennis and golf, creating lifelong friends of all ages along the way. She was a member of The Essex County Club and the Manchester Athletic Club.
Kay was an avid gardener and will always be remembered for her extraordinary dahlia garden. Her dahlias were in full bloom on the day she left us, honoring her natural beauty and peaceful nature. She was an active member of the North Shore Garden Club and the Abacus Investment Club, local bridge and book clubs. She was a regular volunteer at the Manchester Public Library. Kay took special joy in her season tickets to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Fridays at Symphony have never been the same since she, Laura and Ailsa graced their seats. She knew how to enjoy each and every day to its fullest.
Growing up in Boston, the Curtis family attended Sunday services at Trinity Church. At age nine, Kay’s family began spending their summers in Manchester and Kay attended services at Emmanuel Church. Throughout the years, parishioners could eye Kay’s signature blond hair every Sunday up front in her favorite pew. She adored the hymns at church and the simplicity of spending time just thinking about being a good person.
Kay’s greatest joy came from spending time with her closest friends and family. She loved to travel, especially to Europe. She enjoyed many fun trips to Italy, France, Holland, Scotland and Switzerland. She especially rejoiced in her adventures with the Cutler, Steinert, Putnam and Metcalf families. She enjoyed multiple trips with her sister Laura’s family to the Cayman Island and Turks and Caicos, happily leaving the cold snowy New England winters behind.
Kay was fiercely loving and supportive of her sisters and their families. Affectionately known as “Auntie Kay” by all, she will forever be remembered for her steadfast acceptance of every person in her life, and her unique ability to have an individual relationship with each and every family member. Auntie Kay had the gift of listening and was always genuinely interested in what others had to say; in their lives, successes and failures. She always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook on life that was contagious to all. She will be immensely missed by each and every person who had the privilege of even the smallest of conversations with Kay Allard. She made each and every person feel special, and she possessed a true love of life. Her light lives on in all of us who knew her.
Kay leaves behind her nieces Lori Archuleta of Essex, MA., Erika Curtis of Essex, MA., Karen Geoghegan of Kilcolgan, Ireland, Mimi Snyder of Bryan Mar, PA., Suzanne Gere of Cardiff, CA., and Louisa Woodville of The Plains, VA., and her nephews Tarrant Cutler of Orleans, MA, Edward Cutler of Easton, N.H., and Richard Woodville of Wayne, PA. She also leaves 17 grand nieces and nephews and 17 great grand nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to her amazing, dedicated and loving caregivers Sandy and Alanna Stewart-Bell-Jacques, Toby McCormack, Joanne Gagnon and Tomi Lou Muniz. We would also like to thank the compassionate and professional team at Care Dimensions.
Catherine Allard will be buried privately at Mount Auburn Cemetery, being laid to rest with her parents, grandparents, sisters Polly and Louisa.
There will be a memorial service at Emmanuel Church in Manchester, MA on October 5th at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at the Singing Beach Club.
