Kathryn Ann "Kay" Speed

KATHRYN ANN "KAY" SPEED of Guelph, Ontario, Canada died Aug. 6, 2015. She is survived by her daughter Kirstin Heather Kelly of Toronto, Ontario and her brother Gary N. Speed of Little Rock, Ark. She was preceded in death by her parents, L.T. Speed and Lou Edna Nibling Speed of Conway, Ark.; nephew Albert T. Speed of Little Rock; maternal grandparents Albert Leslie Nibling and Ellen Arminta Grimes Nibling of Temple, Texas, and paternal grandparents Emma Welch Speed and Grover Cleveland Speed Sr. of Collins, Miss. Kay was born March 27, 1952 in Dallas, Texas. Kay graduated from Conway High School, where she excelled as a student and as a musician. She loved the flute and piccolo and continued to perform regularly throughout her life. More recently, she played flute at her church, Harcourt Memorial United Church, in Guelph–as a soloist, accompanist, and as part of a flute choir that she helped organize–and at the Aberfoyle Farmers' Market. Kay graduated from Hendrix College at Conway in 1974 with a degree in English. She went on to become a newspaper reporter, working her way from Southwest Times Record at Fort Smith, to the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Gazette. As a reporter, she often covered politics, including the young Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. In 1980, Kay received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, ON. She enjoyed Canada, and this experience led her to live most of her adult life there, where she worked as a technical writer and freelance journalist. She loved the multicultural nature of Toronto, where she raised her daughter. She later moved to Guelph, a university town, where she quickly developed many new friends from around the world. In early 2014, Kay was diagnosed with Stage IV primary peritoneal cancer, and she regularly posted on Facebook very detailed reports of her fight against cancer—both good days and bad. She received hundreds of comments and prayers, offering support and encouragement from longtime friends and complete strangers (who immediately became new friends). The Facebook comments, cards, flowers and phone calls brightened her final days and helped her continue the battle. The family wants to thank the doctors, nurses and other caregivers who helped treat her illness and give her care and comfort in her last few months. She had just arrived at the Rotary-sponsored Hospice Wellington in Guelph when she died. A memorial service honoring Kay will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015 at Harcourt Memorial United Church at Guelph. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in the name of Harcourt Memorial United Church, The Rotary Foundation, or a charity of your choice.