Halloran, Dr. Katherine "Kitty" (Hess) of Lexington, MA, formerly of Stamford, CT, passed away October 18, 2019 after a brief illness.  Born August 14, 1929 to Dr. Orvan W. Hess and Carol Maurer Hess of North Haven, CT , she was the loving wife of 62 years of the late Thomas C. Halloran; beloved mother of son Charles B. Halloran of Belmont, MA, daughter Priscilla A. Halloran of Falls Church, VA, and son Peter M. Halloran and his wife Margarita of New York, NY; devoted sister of Carolyn H. Westerfield of North Haven, CT and cousin of the late Priscilla Maurer Burrage; loving grandmother of Catherine, Sophie and Elena; and aunt of Pamela W. Bingham and Leland A. Westerfield.

Kitty was a graduate of Wellesley College (B.S., 1951) and the Yale School of Medicine (M.D., 1954) where she was one of only three women in her class. After her residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York, Kitty held the Meyer Berger research fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. She then returned to the Yale School of Medicine where she spent twenty years as a research physician and assistant professor.  At a time when it was uncommon for women to work outside the home, Kitty conducted medical research, attended patients and taught classes at the medical school.

While at Yale, Kitty authored research in pediatric cardiology before pursuing the then-nascent field of genetics, including peer-reviewed publications on the genetic origins of Down Syndrome. She later moved to Lexington, MA to become the Regional Flight Surgeon for the Federal Aviation Administration.  Kitty's pursuit of medicine had been inspired by both her father, a renowned physician and inventor of the fetal heart monitor, as well as her uncle, the late Dr. Gordon Maurer, who founded the hospital in Margaretville, NY after having graduated from the Yale School of Medicine.

Among Kitty's favorite places were a family home dating back to 1890 in the farming village of Margaretville, NY and a beach home on Cape Cod. She enjoyed sports and introduced her children to tennis, skiing, swimming, skating and sailing.  Kitty also was an avid reader who closed the last few hours of each day immersed in the latest novel.  In her later years, she focused on her life-long interest in art through the Lexington Arts and Craft Society with her paintings being displayed at local exhibitions.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 2nd at the Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Rd. Lexington at 1:00 PM. Visitation will be immediately prior to the service from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. There will be a private interment at Andes Cemetery in Andes, NY.

Donations in her memory may be made to Wellesley College. Be sure to note "In Memory of Katherine Hess Halloran, Class of 1951." These can be made online (https://www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/give), by mail (Wellesley College Development Office, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481) and by phone (800-358-3543).