Obituary of Catherine F. Willower

Catherine F. Willower, 84, of State College, died Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at the Village at Penn State Atrium. Born July 21, 1934, in Ashland, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Mary Laughlin Carr. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees, both in Education, from the Pennsylvania State University. She was a member of Pi Lambda Theta, Education Honorary. Mrs. Willower was employed by the State College Area School District where she taught for thirty-three years. The wife of the late Donald J. Willower, she is survived by a step-daughter, Ann Denz and her husband, Rick, of Florida; granddaughters and many cousins. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a sister, Nancy Carr, a brother, John Howard Carr and a step-son, John F. Willower. She was a member of the University Women's Club, the Mount Nittany Society, a Friend of the Palmer Museum of Art, and a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association. She served on the Dean's Development Council for the College of Education. With her husband they established an endowment at Penn State to support the Graduate Program in Educational Administration as well as an endowment at the University of Buffalo to fund the Willower Family Lectures. A volunteer at the Radio Park School Library, she established an endowment for the library in honor of her husband. Mrs. Willower created the Carr-Willower Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund honors her parents, her brother and sister and her husband. It benefits the graduates of North Schuylkill Area and Regional Catholic High Schools. Visitation will be from 6 until 8 p.m., on Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Koch Funeral home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. Burial will be in Spring Creek Presbyterian Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.