Kitty’sJourney
Catherine D. (Brown) Blacknall, affectionally known as Ms. Kitty, was born in Calvert County, Maryland on December 1, 1947 to the late David and Hortense Avon Brown. She was the fifth of eight children born to this union. Two of her siblings, Russell and Freda, preceded her in death. Kitty gracefully departed this life in peace and entered eternal life on the afternoon of Saturday, December 31, 2022.
At the age of six, Kitty was enrolled into Plum Point Elementary School, a small two-room school located in Plum Point, Maryland. In September 1960, she was enrolled in W. S. Brooks High School, the first public high school for African Americans in Calvert County. Kitty studied Business Education and graduated from W. S. Brooks High School on June 11, 1965. At the age of 17, in October 1965, Kitty left Calvert County and moved to Washington, DC. In the winter of 1965, Kitty began employment as a cashier at S. S. Kresge 5 & 10. In June 1969, she began employment as a telephone operator with DC Transit Bus Company. On September 18, 1972, Kitty began her employment with the Federal Government. She held various positions including Clerk Typist, Secretary, Legal Assistant, Paralegal Specialist and Equal Employment Specialist until retiring on February 19, 2005, with 33 years of service.
Kitty received her Paralegal Certificate from Georgetown University School of Law in November 1985. She continued her education at George Washington University and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Training Programs. While working with EEOC, Kitty received many Special Achievement Awards for her dedicated service, work ethics and commitment to the mission of the agency.
On January 1, 1999, Kitty was appointed to the position of Foodservice Manager with the Glendale Baptist Church, now The Sanctuary at Kingdom Square. She served in this position until November 2, 2014. While serving in this position, she had the opportunity to prepare both typical and elegant meals that she had mastered over the years and learned to cook for large groups, including but not limited to Wedding Receptions, Church Anniversary Receptions, Birthday Celebrations, Church Repasts, Sunday Dinners, Church Revival Receptions, Annual Church Picnics and Ministry activities. In December 2015, Kitty published her cookbook, “What’s In A Meal: Prepared from the Heart”.
Kitty was a life-time member and served as the treasurer for the Afro American Historical and Genealogy Society for more than 10 years. Her love for family motivated her to trace her family history back five generations. She is known to her family as the Historian. Kitty along with her cousin Chris Parran Banks wrote an article for the Calvert Historian titled "Who Was Christianna Parran?” The article was presented at a Brown Bag Lunch Program at the Calvert County Historical Society in 2019, and since then, new information has come to light and has been added to this publication.
Kitty always had a passion for entrepreneurship and explored this passion for many years as a consultant for Mary Kay and TeaRiffic Gifts, where she designed one-of-a-kind pampering boxes focusing on loose authentic teas and other pampering items. Later she started Unique Catering Services, which allowed her to continue her love for cooking for people, while preparing nutritious meals for clients of all walks of life. Kitty’s smile and infectious laugh would fill any room she walked into. Kitty never met a stranger. She would introduce herself, ask you your first and last name, and if your last name was a name that was in her family tree, she instantly considered you to be related. Everyone knows how much Kitty loved to cook. She thought it was very important for us to “please our palate”. She cooked for herself, her family, her friends, and even people that she just met. She took pride in her cooking and always gave her all in the kitchen. Kitty loved her family more than anything. It gave her so much joy to help plan the “Everybody’s Birthday Party”, which was our family reunion. She enjoyed gathering everyone together and playing games, watching game shows, eating, and having good conversations filled with laughter. One-on-one, Kitty made everybody she came in contact with feel as if they were the most important. She was always making someone a meal and giving whatever she thought they would like, down to the clothes on her back. Kitty’s heart was enormous. She had space for everyone whom she crossed paths with. Her ability to care for others, no matter the person, was unmatched.
Kitty married the late John Thomas Blacknall from Kittrell, North Carolina on August 5, 1974. From this union, two children were born: Ronda Rachelle and John Thomas, Jr. Kitty and John celebrated over 30 years of wedded bliss, until John’s sudden passing in August of 2007.
Kitty leaves to cherish her memory: her children, Ronda Parks (Pastor Roderick S. Parks) and John Thomas Blacknall, Jr. (Patrice Hale); five granddaughters, Daisha, Jhané, Zia, Zionna and Laila and one great granddaughter, Jade; siblings, Delores, William (Maxine), Gladys, Myrtle (Calvin), Crisfield Donnell Brown; goddaughters, Laurie Monk and Brittany Reid; godson, Terrence Brooks; and a host of loving and caring nieces, nephews, cousins, church family and friends.
