Obituary: Wendell Merrill Kathan
February 7, 1944 – May 17, 2024
June 5, 2024Updated July 30 | A burial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Warren village cemetery. A gathering at the Warren town hall will follow immediately afterward with light refreshments and desserts.
Wendell Merrill Kathan. 1944-2024
Wendell M. Kathan, 80, of Warren, passed away on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Born on February 7, 1944, in Montpelier, he was the son of the late Merrill and Mildred (Brooks) Kathan. He was previously married to Donna Demas (1963-1982) and AnnMarie Nichols (1987-2014).
In 2014 he decided to up and move to Massachusetts to be with his high school sweetheart, May Hnath. During this time, he became ill. May took care of him until the end when he decided he wanted to be back home in Vermont to spend his last months with son Chris and daughter-in-law Stefanie. He enjoyed his last days riding his side-by-side on the Kathan land.
Wendell was a 1962 graduate of Waitsfield High School. As a young man, he worked excavation for Leonard Robinson in Warren and with his brother-in-law Donny Demas building houses. He was later self-employed as a carpenter/general contractor, retiring from his last job as clerk of the works for the state of Vermont. Wendell also was a 50-year member of the Mad River Masonic Lodge #77 of Waitsfield.
A gifted woodworker involving all different types of carpentry, in his later years his hobby was turning wooden bowls and making pens. Wendell loved all kinds of animals and raised every farm animal imaginable. He enjoyed everything from pigeon racing to draft horses. He in fact is survived by his 30+-year-old talking African grey parrot named Willey.
Wendell is also survived by family members including his children Lisa Kathan-White and her husband Tony of Temple, Texas, son Christopher Kathan and his wife Stefanie of Warren, son Mitchell Kathan and his wife Megan of Lunenburg, Vermont; his brother Francis Kathan of Warren, and his sister Reta Goss and her husband John of Warren; stepdaughter Kristina Swinchoski and her husband Bob of Williamstown; 11 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, as well as nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
He was predeceased by a brother Wayne Kathan and stepdaughter Kathy Brooks.
A burial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Warren village cemetery. A gathering at the Warren town hall will follow immediately afterward with light refreshments and desserts.
For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 305, Waitsfield, VT 05673 or online at mrvas.org.
Online condolences may be made at perkinsparker.com.