Spickard worked in Office of University Development for 20 years
Catherine K. Spickard, 47, died Jan. 11 at her home.
A 20-year member of the U-M Office of University Development, she began working as a joint secretary in the Corporate Foundation Relations and Development Reports & Information Offices in 1994. She quickly demonstrated her skills for handling complicated tasks, hard work and a supreme level of professionalism that resulted in steady promotions and her final position as executive director of development services.
Spickard was known throughout the university as the go-to person for questions related to processing of donors’ gifts. She could be relied upon to get to the bottom of problems or errors and to provide professional, prompt responses to donors’ questions, colleagues say.
She was born March 10, 1965, in Trenton, Mich., the daughter of John A. and Lucille S. (Gefrerer) Kwasny. Her joy was her family and her daughter, Abigail. Spickard enjoyed traveling with her family, especially to the Caribbean, and also enjoyed quilting and the arts.
She is survived by her husband of 23 years, Geoffery; her daughter, Abigail; her mother, Lucille Kwasny; sisters Cynthia (Jerry) McCurdy, Janice (Bob) Camis and Cheryl (Ted) Bondie; and a number of other relatives. She was preceded in death by her father, John Kwasny, and her sister, Jacqulyn Gross.
— Submitted by Judy Malcolm, Office of University Development
