Kathleen (Kay) Marie Parley passed away on May 22, 2025 at the age of 102.
A graveside service celebrating Kay’s remarkable life will take place Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Moffat Cemetery, Moffat, Saskatchewan. Immediately afterward, friends and family are invited to gather for a picnic on the nearby church grounds (or community hall if inclement weather). Please bring a lawn chair and be ready to share your favourite stories of Kay. Throughout the afternoon, displays of her personal photographs and selections of her artwork and books will be available for everyone to enjoy, offering a glimpse into the century she so vividly chronicled.
A gifted writer and indefatigable observer of the human spirit, Kay contributed articles to the Western Producer, Moosomin World-Spectator, Indian Head-Wolseley News, and numerous nursing and psychiatry journals. Her books—Lady with a Lantern, Inside the Mental, The Human Touch, Flash-in-the-Sky, The Sixth Age, The Grass People, The Monkey Vault, and most recently the 2024 essay collection One Woman’s Century—bear witness to her compassion, curiosity, and talented storytelling.
Kay was a founding member of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, and has remained a Guild member ever since. Kay often said, “It’s where the writers are—why would I want to be anywhere else?” (Freelance Magazine, Vol. 55, No. 1). Her legacy will continue to inspire the Guild and the countless readers who found wisdom and warmth in her words.
(Words and photo credit: Judith Silverthorne)