The Old Globe Board Member Kathryn Crippen Hattox Passes Away

The Old Globe is deeply saddened to announce the passing of prominent businesswoman, civic leader, philanthropist, and Old Globe Board member Kathryn Crippen Hattox, who died April 29 at her Point Loma home after a brief illness, during which she was surrounded by her family. A lifelong San Diegan, she both witnessed and contributed to the city's transformation from a quiet Navy town to the vibrant cultural metropolis of today. Friends remark of her that she was a person who lived life to the fullest every day.

She is survived by her husband, John S. Hattox, MD, and her daughters, Sue Blessey, Margaret Maas, and Sylvia Maas. She has three grandchildren, Quentin Cobb, Tay Blessey, Erroll Maas, and a great grandchild, Lily Cobb. Her son, Alex Maas, and her former spouses, Harry Maas, MD and Ken Crippen, MD, predeceased her.

"Kathy Hattox helped shape the cultural vibrancy of our city, and her passing leaves behind an emptiness that will be hard to fill," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "Her generosity to The Old Globe over decades transformed this institution. Whenever we meet in our hall that bears her name, we celebrate her impact. She loved theatre and loved talking about this art and how it gets made, and she took great pride in the fact that San Diego is a national force in this field. Kathy was on the committee that hired me, and she took pains to make sure that my family and I settled in happily to our new hometown. I will always cherish our close friendship, and I will hold her up as the ideal of a philanthropist and civic volunteer. I will miss her warmth, good cheer, and abiding faith in theatre art, as will everyone at the Globe. We all extend to John and her family our most sincere condolences."

"Kathy's intellect, her love of the theatre, and her love of this community helped to guide the Globe for many years," said Old Globe Board of Directors Chair Vicki L. Zeiger. "I looked to her as a former board chair for support and was inspired by her strength, knowledge, and generosity. I will personally miss her very much."

Born Kathryn Alice Roche in San Diego in 1930, she grew up in Kensington and attended Hoover High School and San Diego State University before graduating from UCLA following her first marriage. After several years devoted primarily to raising her four children, she became active in the San Diego County Medical Auxiliary. It was at that point that she decided she should pursue interests beyond home life. After graduating from law school at the University of San Diego, she specialized in estate planning and later began investing in commercial real estate and other ventures. She was a principal investor in Specialty Metals Steel.

Kathy, as she preferred to be known, enjoyed a passion for travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. She delighted in backpacking in the Sierras with her family, snorkeling in Maui, sailing, and African safaris. In recent years, she and her husband John traveled extensively around the globe, visiting India, Africa, and the Far East. Not too many years ago they were camping in India, trekking gorillas in Uganda, and snorkeling in the Seychelles. Having traveled to over 100 nations, she still declared often that "San Diego is one of the loveliest places on the entire planet." She loved looking out on her view of the bay and tending her Rose Garden.

Following an interview with Kathy, Bob Kelly, former CEO of The San Diego Foundation, wrote: "[She] remembers a time when San Diego had not yet awakened. Mission Valley still had dairy farms. The zoo was the prime attraction in town. The present network of freeways did not exist. As a youth she bodysurfed at Mission Beach. She visited the zoo. She watched the cultural institutions begin to grow. She began to view the beginnings of a great city." Her leadership and contributions have helped make that development possible.

Her love of San Diego led to her philanthropy, and particularly to her engagement with institutions in Balboa Park. In addition to The Old Globe, where she served as Chair of the Board of Directors in 2006 and 2007, she was an active supporter and leader in the growth of the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the San Diego Museum of Art. She recently served on the board of the San Diego Opera and continued to be active in many of these institutions until very shortly before her death.

"A great city needs culture to nourish its soul," she observed in an interview. "San Diego really is one of the finest cities for theatre in the country. The Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse are treasures. Overall I believe San Diego is a wonderful center for culture, perhaps more so than any place outside New York...we should be proud to live in a place with such a rich cultural foundation."

Memorial contributions may be made to any of these institutions. A celebration of her life will be held at The Old Globe at a date yet to be determined.

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