RACINE - Kathleen Ann Rygasewicz (affectionately known as “Kat”) passed away on April 15, 2016 at 66 years from a sudden illness. To know her was to love her & she is greatly missed by many friends. Kat was born on January 13, 1950 in Racine to Arthur Rygasewicz & Marie nee: Fachko. Kat’s grandparents Frank Rvgaswicz (Polish sp) and Adela nee: Rylski escaped the Polish-Soviet war. Once their family was safely in the US, they found the US in a depression and starvation. They finally found work in Racine and solace at St. Stanislaus Polish Church & neighborhood. Kat's dad & uncles built all their family homes. Kat attended St. Stanislaus, Mitchell & Washington Park as an honor student, earning her the name“The Test Curve Wrecker’. She attended UW-Madison, specializing in literature, journalism & women’s studies. She also studied the arts. Kat moved to Washington DC, working for the Dept of Agriculture. There she became a theater critic. She wrote in many columns and had 2 syndicate magazine columns: “City Stage” in the “Intowner” of DC & “Intermission” of Arlington, VA. Traveling in Europe, she found her true love for poetry. She founded a small, whimsical DC publication “The Cat Mews”. She moved to Racine when her dad fell ill. She furthered her education at UW-Parkside in Botany. Kat founded “Wise Woman Garden” & many poetry groups. She had many accolades & awards for her published poems over the years. She became a performing poet in various local venues. In the Wisconsin Poets 2016 Calendar date book, one of Kat's poems “Genealogy” was featured on the April 15 page- coincidently the day of her death! She is preceded in death by her parents of Racine & brother Dan of Fremont, CA. She is survived by cousins Heather, David & Michael Anton & Jim Ashley all of Racine & Tom Ashley of Green Bay, WI & many friends. A memorial service with take place on Oct 5, 2016 promptly at 6:00 PM officiated by Reverend Tony Larsen at the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church at 625 College Avenue Racine, WI 53403, 262-634-0659. Draeger-Langendorf cared for her cremation. Because of Kat’s love of nature, plant milkweed in your garden in Kat's memory- to help the endangered Monarch butterfly bring joy to your garden.