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Philanthropist Kay Eckstein Dies at Age 90

Philanthropist Kay Eckstein Dies at Age 90
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Jun. 21, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 21, 2017 | 06:47 PM | PADUCAH, KY
A Paducah woman known for her philanthropy has died.

Kathryn "Kay" Eckstein passed away Monday at her home at the age of 90. 

She and her husband, Ray, formed the Ray and Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust in 2005, but they had been giving to special interests in selected communities for years - especially Paducah, where they have lived for decades, and Ray's native Wisconsin.

Kay was born in Chicago, and met Ray when they both attended Marquette University. They married in 1948, graduated a year later, and Ray practiced law in Cassville, Wisconsin. He later started a river transportation business, then sold it. In 1978 he formed Marquette Transportation, which is headquartered in Paducah. 

Their philanthropy has made their names familiar in many places, especially Marquette University, where in 2010, Eckstein Hall became the focal point of their law school, and in Paducah, where both hospitals have named facilities in their honor. Lourdes Hospital opened the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in 2015, and Baptist Health Paducah will celebrate the Ray and Kay Eckstein Cancer Care Center on Wednesday, June 28.

Numerous other local charities have benefited from the Eckstein's generosity, including educational, municipal and missional grants, especially those connected to their Catholic faith.

Kay is survived by her husband, Ray, seven children (four of whom live in Paducah), and dozens of grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, one daughter, two brothers, and four grandchildren. 

A funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Cassville, Wisconsin.

Click the link below to read Kay's full obituary.

On the Net:

Eckstein Obituary
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