Obituary of Kitty Belle Blackwell

Kitty Belle (Wilkinson) Blackwell, 79, of West Columbia, departed this life on March 19, 2016, after a long, tenacious battle with COPD. Her children and grandchildren were close by. Kitty was born in Dallas, TX on January 22, 1937; the second daughter of the late William H. Wilkinson Sr. and Kitty Belle (Suggs). She is survived by her three loving children, Desiree (Celorier) Voegele and her husband, Lothaire Dieter Voegele, M.D. of Aiken; Wilfred "Teddy" Lester Celorier III, and his partner, David C. Kerr of Charleston; and Edward Darren Celorier and his wife, Ann Theresa Celorier of West Columbia; her four grandchildren; Darren Eloree Celorier, Claire Isabelle Madeleine Voegele, Amber Elizabeth Celorier, her son Gabriel, Shantal and Andrew Finch, their daughters Mila and Ava. Kitty had been a resident of West Columbia for the past twenty years, and previously resided in Wilmington, DE and Washington, D.C. She grew up in Charlestown, MA with her seven brothers and sisters. An intelligent youth, she skipped the 3rd and 5th grades, attended Girls' Latin School in Boston, MA and graduated from Wayland High School. She was a retired federal employee with a decorated career in the United States Senate, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Veterans' Administration. Kitty was a best friend to many; a lifelong learner and a breaker of glass ceilings. Her family will remember her fondly; her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and adopted children, all of whom she loved fiercely, were the center of her life and her proudest contributions to the world. A memorial service will be held for Kitty on Friday, April 15, 2016 at 11:00 am at All Saint's Anglican Church, 110 Fairfield St. NE, Aiken, SC 29801. Father George Alexander will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Kitty's memory may be sent to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, or COPD- Support, Inc. c/o Jim Swedlow, 7513 Fireweed Circle, Citrus Heights, CA 95610, or http://www.copd-support.com/donate.htm. .