Kathleen Anne Shatt

Kathleen “Kathy” Anne (Thomas) Shatt of Ferndale, age 60, passed away on September 7, 2020 at Hospice of the Chesapeake surrounded by her family.

Kathy was born at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore on July 17, 1960 to Jim and Annette Thomas. She spent her entire life in Ferndale where she became a pillar of the community. Kathy graduated from Andover High School in 1978 and later attended University of Maryland, College Park where she graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism. During her time in College Park, Kathy served as a staff writer and a city editor for the Citizen Call. She also worked as a substitute teacher for Anne Arundel County Public Schools and served as an intern for the Maryland Gazette. Kathy was a true people person. She dedicated herself to public service and loved serving the many residents of Anne Arundel County.

Kathy began working for the County in 1985 where she served as a Community Services Specialist for the Anne Arundel County Office of Community Service. For the remainder of her career with the County, Kathy held several positions within the Office of Planning and Zoning. Kathy diligently served Anne Arundel County for 31 years before retiring in 2016. Following her retirement from the County, Kathy served as the Development Director at Opportunity Builders Inc. until 2019.

Kathy had a real knack for getting to know people. If you wanted to know anything about anyone, just ask Kathy. In 1993, Kathy began writing for the Maryland Gazette where she served as a community correspondent until 2017. In this position, Kathy wrote a bi-weekly community news column for the newspaper, covering special events, community meetings, honors and awards received by residents of Glen Burnie. In April 2015 the paper launched a new additional column “Kathy’s People” that featured individuals in the North County Area with a story to tell. Kathy loved interacting with the community through her column and having the opportunity to share their stories.

Kathy was very active in community and political organizations, including Jaycees and the Stoney Creek, Roland Terrace, and District 32 Democratic Clubs. She was elected to the Maryland State Democratic Central Committee from 1998 to 2018 where she served six terms as chairperson, five terms as vice-chairperson, and three terms as secretary. Kathy was a member of the Women’s Club of Linthicum Heights and a board member for the Maryland Concert Series, the Monsignor Slade Catholic School School Board, and Opportunity Builders Inc. In her spare time, Kathy enjoyed sewing, reading, needlework, cooking, crafting, and spending time at the beach with friends and family. Kathy was also an avid gardener and member of the Ferndale Garden Club for 34 years.

Kathy is survived by her son Dr. James (Shatt) Morrill and his husband Taylor Morrill; son Brian Shatt; father of her children Heinz “Roy” Shatt; Mother Annette (Appleby) Thomas; sister Michele (Thomas) DeGrange and husband Ed DeGrange Jr.; brother Steven Thomas and wife Elena (Sophocleus) Thomas; nieces and nephews Eddie DeGrange, Michael DeGrange, Despina Thomas, Christian Thomas, and Nautica Lane. She was preceded in death by her father, James C. Thomas.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

A viewing will be held from 3-5 and 7-9 on September 10, 2020: Kirkley-Ruddick Funeral Home, 421 Crain Highway, S.E. Glen Burnie, MD 21061