Kathryn Harris-Graham

Kathryn Harris-Graham, “Kathy” was born in Los Angeles on November 21, 1958 to the late Napoleon N. Harris and Betti VanEpps Harris; a wonderful, wry surprise to struggling college student parents. Living in Compton, and Long Beach, California during the 10 years they were a complete family, Kathy witnessed firsthand the chaotic early sixties: the emerging civil rights struggle, political assassinations of two Kennedys and the frightening first Los Angeles Watts Riot. During the latter, her father, administrator of a Long Beach inner city youth center, was involved first in active peacekeeping, and subsequently in the rebuilding of the neighborhoods. Kathy loved tagging along with her charismatic Dad, watching him at work, and missing very little.

In late 1966, her parents’ separation placed her with Mom in a Denver, that included the War on Poverty, and Denver city life; but in early 1971, her mother began her long career in Kansas City with the infant USEPA, and Kathy realized “KC” was the “home of her heart.” In high school, she quickly discovered Arabian horses and the city’s acclaimed amateur all-breed horse show circuits. Her first horse, Mirwan Dandy, a registered half-Arab adult who needed training and a young woman’s love, became her first champion Western Pleasure horse; quickly followed by other Arabs that she owned, trained, and successfully showed. By high school graduation, she was seriously contemplating a career as a professional horse trainer. Eventually, economic reality set in, followed by a year of business school, a sampling of the job market, and reluctantly, her horse dream morphed into “gifted amateur status” for the next 20+ years. In 1982, her path crossed that of Dennis Graham, a young painter-decorator, and well, that was that!

They established their home in Grandview, Missouri where two daughters were born, and shortly after the birth of the second one, Kathy joined Favorite Nurses, starting in the call center’s graveyard shift. Over the next 30+ years, she mastered the nursing employment business from the bottom up, retiring as a respected senior executive in 2025, while working on her bachelor’s degree at local Avila College.

In their 43 years together, they launched their beautiful daughters, Korey Elizabeth and Kathryn Devin, followed by the enjoyment and current launching of two young adult granddaughters, Alyssa Devin Wartenbee and Torey Elizabeth Beerbaur. A close family, they loved their homelife, and also the vagabond trips whenever the devoted couple could get away as they explored the United States. Kathy also enjoyed occasional volunteer projects including an early city-wide “teenagers at risk” program, and most recently, volunteering at Kansas City’s Veterans Community Project’s Tiny Village. In December 2024, an unexpected serious surgery made retirement inevitable and ultimately triggered other health problems which led to her unexpected serious illness that took her life on April 7, 2026.

Kathy was pre-deceased by her father, Napoleon N. Harris, her stepfather Joseph Brown Bear Taylor of Buhl, Idaho, and assorted grandparents. In addition to her husband, mother, daughters, and granddaughters, she also leaves assorted extended family members, scattered about the country; and in particular, beloved cousin, Tony L. Harris of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. No service is planned but those who wish to remember her with a gift might consider Magicats, Inc., a feline rescue organization in Buhl, Idaho, the VCP Village (Tiny Homes for Vets) in Kansas City, Missouri, or a charity of your choice.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Kathy’s memorial webpage at www.farmerfuneralchapel.com.