Kathy Newsome Hounshell

Kathy Newsome Hounshell of Chapel Hill, North Carolina died surrounded by her loving family on January 25, 2025 after a long, arduous journey with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Kathy was born on December 19, 1957 in Chapel Hill to the late James F. “Turk” Newsome, M.D. and Alice B. Newsome. After growing up in Chapel Hill, she married Mark G. Hounshell, her high school sweetheart and best friend on the day of her graduation from North Carolina State University in 1980. After starting a successful career in banking she had a change of heart upon the birth of her daughter and decided that her most important goal in life was to spend time with and raise her growing family. 

Together, Kathy and Mark lived and made many friends in Columbia, South Carolina; Kernersville and Raleigh, North Carolina; Oakland, California; and Blacksburg and Mila, Virginia before moving back to Chapel Hill in 2020.

Everyone who met Kathy immediately recognized her as a kind, loving, and generous soul. She always volunteered to drive her children and their friends to soccer games and swim meets; to listen to their laughter, to hear all their banter (and gossip) and learn what was really going on in their lives. She leaves behind friends everywhere she lived. Kathy was a hard worker, from volunteering to work at schools, swim meets and soccer games or picking up a hammer and paintbrush to help Mark renovate their many homes.

While Kathy called herself a somewhat reluctant offshore sailor, she logged many coastal and bluewater miles first on their sailboat Pegasus and then KMAN. She frequently joked that she enjoyed “being there much more than getting there” and loved the ability to travel to new places, while sleeping in her own bed. Her reluctance for long-distance travel disappeared on trips in her Airstream trailer which she called her “Nest”. Kathy especially loved adventures to national and state parks, where she enjoyed the majesty of nature while taking long hikes.

Family was the true joy of Kathy’s life. In addition to her husband, Mark, she leaves behind her daughter Alexandria G. Hounshell and her husband Adam Rok, her son Nicholas J. Hounshell and his wife Lindsey Hounshell, and Kathy’s cat, Luna. Additional beloved members of her family include her sisters Libby Newsome and Susan Newsome Shotsberger; mother-in-law Ann G. Hounshell; son-in-law’s Paul Shotsberger, Paul B Hounshell Jr., and David Hounshell; her sister-in-law Gale Hounshell; and her nieces Jennifer, Katie, and Sarah; and her nephews Ryan, Brandon and Carl.

As a family we found that early onset Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. First it takes your hope followed by your freedom, dignity, health and lastly, your life. We pray that there will be progress made to develop effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease so other families will not have to a follow a similar journey.

We would like to thank the many nurses and staff at Transitions Hospice, especially Liz and Suzanne, who helped us navigate the many physical and emotional aspects of late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. We also thank Brendi, who provided excellent and loving care for both Kathy and Mark.

May Kathy Enjoy the Love of God and Jesus and May They Grant Her Eternal Life and Joy In Heaven.