Mary Katherine Venable

Mrs. Mary Katherine Page Venable, 90, resident of Westchester Harbour, died April 19, 2024 at High Point Medical Center.

Katherine was born June 17, 1933 in Fairmont, North Carolina, a daughter to Oliver B. and Mary McDuffie Jessup Page.  She graduated as valedictorian from Vass-Lakeview High School in 1952 and later received her Bachelor of Science from High Point College in 1956.  That same year, she married her college sweetheart, Edger Jackson Venable, at Green St. Baptist Church.  Together, they remained married fifty-three years until his death in 2009.  At Green St. Baptist Church, she taught fourth grade Sunday school for many years, and professionally, taught at various Guilford County and High Point City Schools.  As her career progressed, she transitioned to GTCC where she taught Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL).  Many older adults learned to read through her tutelage, and she developed close friendships in both programs, even traveling to Spain to visit and meet a student’s family.  Her love of teaching was manifest after retirement for several years through her in-home tutoring.  She also had a passion for flowers and gardening.  No visitor ever left her home without a bouquet of whatever was blooming in her yard.  Mary Katherine also enjoyed acrylic and oil painting, camping and canoeing, and was an excellent seamstress.

Surviving are two daughters, Mary Ellen Wilkerson (Reid) of Waxhaw and Linda Venable (Felix Moreno) of Asheville; two sons, Alan Venable (Delese) of Kernersville and Mark Venable (Jill) of Boone; six grandchildren, Forrest Wilkerson of Waxhaw, David Wilkerson (Kristie) of Walla Walla, Washington, Joey Venable (Kayla) of Winston-Salem, Scott Venable (Abby) of Winterville, Annie Venable of Arvada, Colorado and Matthew Venable (Ria) of Sandy, Utah; and two great grandchildren, Jackson and Karsyn.  In addition to her husband and parents, she was also preceded in death by her four brothers, Jack, Bob, O.B. and Percy.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Floral Garden Park Cemetery in High Point.  The family will receive friends prior to the service from 11:30-12:30 p.m. at the Cumby Family Funeral Service in High Point.  Memorials may be directed to Green St. Baptist Church, 303 Rotary Dr. High Point, NC 27262 or to the education scholarship of your choice.