In Continual and Loving Memory of Kathryn Collier (KC) Carruthers.

It is with profound sadness that the family of Kathryn Collier (KC) Carruthers, 67, shares her passing on December 18th, 2024, at her home in Austin, Texas, after a life filled with love, leadership, and inspiration.

Born in Wisconsin in 1957 to James and Jo Ann, KC spent her early years in Wisconsin and Minnesota with her brother, Tom, and her lifelong friend, Ann Brown. Before her sophomore year in high school her family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she attended Fairview High School and met the love of her life, Mike Carruthers.

After a year at Colorado College, KC transferred to the University of Colorado Boulder, and a year later, Mike joined her there. KC’s brilliant and pragmatic mind was evident as she studied Advanced Computer Science and Linguistics and majored in Spanish. After graduation, she and Mike married and welcomed their three children—Ann Kathryn, Bryan Michael, and Nathaniel James. While raising her young children, KC also volunteered at the Louisville Historical Society and completed her first two home remodels, beginning her life-long work of combining beauty and functionality as a three dimensional artist, breathing new life into old or functionally obsolete spaces. In 1989, KC and Mike moved their family to Wisconsin, where they lived for four years before returning to Boulder, Colorado.

For the next 24 years, KC continued to support her children’s busy schedules and husband’s career while remaining the heart of her family. Her joy in playing games, love of animals, and belief in the magic of Christmas were contagious and she never failed to instill essential character traits such as grit, creativity, and critical thinking in her children and grandchildren by challenging them, laughing with them, and, most importantly, steadily loving and supporting them. In addition, she also found time to be involved in her community, serving on the board of the Boulder Youth Symphony, as an active member of the Table Mountain Association, and as a versatile volunteer and president of the board at Shining Mountain Waldorf School.

When their children were grown, KC and Mike embarked on rockhounding trips, seeking out beautiful and sometimes rare gemstones. On one of these trips to the Black Hills, KC fell in love with the charm and natural beauty of Hot Springs, South Dakota. Deciding to move there, KC was able to put her talent for creating beautiful aesthetics into action by opening The Morris Grand Gallery, a premier destination in the Black Hills for fine arts, jewelry and minerals. Locating the gallery in the historic Morris Grand Opera House and featuring unique and original items created by local artists, KC became dedicated to the success and growth of Hot Springs, also serving on the Evan’s Plunge Advisory Committee and as a Chamber of Commerce officer.

However, as all three of her children had moved to Austin, Texas, KC and Mike relocated there to be with their children and grandchildren. This move proved to be a blessing, as KC was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma just six months later. Surrounded by her family’s love and support, she not only fought the disease courageously for four years until her passing, she also created a personal pottery studio and continued to expand her work as a sculptor.

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