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Kathryn Strunce Morikawa of Lexington passed away peacefully on July 15, 2023, surrounded by her family, at the age of 71.
Kathy was born Jan. 29, 1952, to Martha (Babb) and Gaylen Strunce in Winchester. She graduated from Handley High School in 1970 to begin her adventures in life.
In 1976 she married Paul Morikawa. While living in Chicago, they were blessed with a daughter, Kelly, who became the center of Kathy’s life. The family then moved back to Virginia. Kathy remained very close with Paul’s family throughout her life.
Kathy was a strong, talented, “do-anything” woman. She could cook fantastic dishes and build or fix anything around the house. Upon moving to the Lexington area she held several jobs, including chef at the WillsonWalker House. She dreamed of owning her own small restaurant, but found her niche as the cook for Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at Washington and Lee University. She loved cooking for “her boys” at the fraternity and did so for many years.
In her spare time, then in her retirement, she sought a combination of solitude and friendships. She maintained friendships with several of her Handley classmates with whom she’d meet for special girls’ weekends of fun. She also cherished, and loved to share, the peacefulness of her home in the Rockbridge County countryside. She delighted in the many bird visitors at her feeder, and was active with the Rockbridge Bird Club. She met regularly with her local friends for yoga, nature walks and holiday wreath-making. She was an avid traveler, and explored Latin America, Asia and Europe with friends and family. She enjoyed riding her motorcycle on mountain roads, playing the banjo, attending bluegrass festivals and making stunning cakes for weddings and birthdays.
But most of all, she loved her family, of which she was so proud. She loved dearly her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter, and spent as much time with them as possible.
She is survived by her daughter Kelly Morikawa (Jack); her granddaughter Sadie Hall (Trey); her greatgranddaughter Kehlani Merchant; and her brother David Strunce (Rossana).
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Kathy will be greatly missed by her family and her many friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, July 29, at 11 a.m. in Lexington.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation at her memorial webpage: https://curecca.link/ KathyMorikawa or to the Rockbridge Bird Club: www. rockbridgebirdclub.org N-G
