Kathleen Theresa Willer

Kathleen Theresa Willer was born in Hamilton, OH February 26, 1945, and attended Catholic schools graduating from Notre Dame High school in Hamilton OH in 1963. After high school, Kathy became a licensed cosmetologist working at several salons in southwest Ohio.

Kathy met her husband Pat on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend in 1965. Though not enthused about a blind date she agreed to go because it was his last day of his Marine Corps boot camp leave and she would never see him again. Pat and Kathy became engaged in 1966 but wedding plans were delayed when Pat received orders to deploy to Viet Nam. Pat and Kathy were married in Fairfield, OH in December 1967 after Pat returned from Viet Nam.

In January 1969 Pat and Kathy relocated to the Houston area where Pat had been raised. At that time Pat and Kathy had two pet Basset Hounds which Kathy thought needed some serious obedience training. She found obedience classes being given at a local shopping mall and entered one of the dogs. That was the beginning of 50 years of involvement in obedience and AKC dog shows. Although they traveled to dog shows many weekends they maintained a normal family life. They had four children and Pat was employed as an electrician at a chemical plant on the Houston Ship Channel.

In 1980 Pat accepted a job at the PPG chemical plant in Lake Charles, LA, and the family relocated to Sulphur, LA. As the children got older Kathy was able to start working as a professional dog handler with her husband and started breeding her favorite breed, Wirehaired Dachshunds. Kathy retired from dog shows and breeding in 2008.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents George and Katherine Kuhn of Fairfield, OH, and her brother Michael Kuhn of Tallahassee, FL. She is survived by her husband Patrick Willer of Sulphur, LA, her sister Roberta Loman of Bradenton, FL, her children, Christopher Willer of Warrenton, VA, David Willer of Sacramento, CA, Kelly Hamilton of Shoreline, WA, and Erin Willer of Lake Charles, LA.

Kathy was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sulphur, LA. She was interred  at Consolata Cemetery in Lake Charles, LA along with the remains of her two favorite Dachshunds and her favorite Garry Newton Bronze. A memorial service will be planned for a later date.