Katherine Ellen Gandy

KATHERINE ELLEN GANDY (nee CLARKE) - In her 91st year and after a life well lived, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 28, 2016 at Fiddick’s Nursing Home, Petrolia, Ontario.

Born on July 24, 1925 in Boston and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Katherine was the second of three children born to Alfred and Catherine Clarke. Katherine graduated from the Girls’ Latin School in Boston with honours in Mathematics in 1943, then from Fisk University, Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Sciences in Engineering Physics in 1947.  She then completed a Master of Science in Mathematics at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1951.

On May 16, 1948, Katherine married John M. Gandy and in 1958, they moved from Chicago to Don Mills, Ontario.  Katherine began to sing with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in 1959 and continued to do so until 1983. In 1962, she chose a career in computer software development and worked for KSC Ltd. until 1968 then with AGT in 1969.  By 1977 she was working for the Multiple Access Computer Group where she collaborated with Ken MacDonald putting Nesbitt Thomson on to their Brokerage Accounting System.  She retired in 1990. 

Prior to and following retirement, Katherine and John enjoyed family time, maintained friendships and followed various cultural and sporting interests.  They enjoyed over 60 trips worldwide and celebrated 50 years of marriage the year before John’s sudden death in 1999.   In July of 2008, Katherine moved to Sarnia to be near her daughter.

Katherine is survived by her children Alan Gandy (Lori) and Sharon MacKinlay (Bert); grandchildren (Jonathan, Elizabeth, Ruth, Sara, Grace); step grandchildren (Jack, Mallory and Molly); and great grandchildren (James, Andrew).  A family service and interment will be held for John and Katherine in Petersburg, Virginia at a later date.