Kathryn Sue Boscardin

Kathryn S. Boscardin

passed away peacefully, at her daughter’s home, on May 2nd, 2026 at the at the age of 85. Kathryn left behind a legacy as wide as the world she so joyfully explored. To know Kathryn was to feel at ease, cared for and if you were lucky, immediately adopted. She had a gift for making family out of strangers and over the course of her life, she became a grandmother, not just to those who shared her bloodline, but to countless others who simply needed one.

Kathryn was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1940, where she was raised and came of age. The foundation she built there, her values, her warmth, and her quiet determination would carry her through decades of adventure. From her earliest years, she possessed a curiosity and eagerness to learn and an openness to the world around her that never dimmed with age

Kathryn built a steady and accomplished career in the insurance industry, earning a reputation for reliability and sharp thinking. Kathryn always had bigger plans than an office. She retired early, not to slow down, but to speed up. With her professional chapter thoughtfully closed, she was free to begin the chapter she had been planning all along.

Kathryn moved through the world with an adventurer’s appetite and a learner’s heart, journeying to places that many people only see on maps: she visited Spain, Russia, the ancient heights of Peru, the waters of Galapagos, Mexico, her ancestors homeland in Ireland and far beyond. Each trip was not just a destination but an education, in cluture, in history in the beauty of lives lived differently than her own. She returned from every journey with stories and an even deeper hunger to see more.

Later in life, Kathryn moved to Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville suited her perfectly, a city that prizes curiosity, creativity and community. She became a devoted member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where she continued feeding her love of learning, well into her eighties. True to form, retirement never stopping, it just meant choosing what to be passionate about next.

Kathryn was not someone who sat on the sidelines and her civic engagement spoke volumes about her character. She believed in showing up, in speaking up, and in the power of people standing together for what is right.

Kathryn was a fixture at her local Jazzercise classes and the YMCA, where she was as much a source of energy as any workout. Her fellow regulars knew her well. Right up until the end, she kept moving, kept laughing, kept going.

Kathryn was preceded in death by her husband Roger Boscardin and her later companion Gene Hughes. Kathryn is survived by her children: Belinda Boscardin, Chris Boscardin (Camille), Richard Lyon and her beloved granddaughter, Zoe Matthews. She is also survived by the wide and wonderful circle of friends, volunteers, fellow travelers, classmates, workout companions and protest partners who were lucky enough to be claimed by her as family.