Katherine "Kay" Wachter of Hermitage passed away peacefully early Thursday at Hospitality Care Center in Hermitage. She was 93.

Kay was born on February 24, 1926, to John and Katherine Teutsch Bochu in Ecourse, Michigan.

As a child, she moved with her family to Youngstown, where she went on to graduate from Rayen High School. She moved to Sharon and later to Sharpsville and Hermitage after her marriage to Walter P. "Wally" Wachter on June 12, 1948. He preceded her in death on February 18, 2015.

Kay had an extensive career as a medical secretary, starting as a stenographer in the X-ray department at Sharon General Hospital. Later, she was a ward secretary and secretary to the nursing director at the then-Shenango Valley Osteopathic Hospital in Farrell. For several years, she was a certified medical assistant to Drs. Lynn F. Brumm and John V. Coupland in Hermitage.

After her retirement, she booked and directed tours in the U.S. and Canada for New Castle-based George Ku Tours.

In her spare time, Kay loved to draw and paint. She took special joy in giving away her works to friends and relatives. Several of her paintings won first place at exhibits around the area. She was a former secretary of the Shenango Valley Arts Guild.

Kay was also an accomplished musician, as a pianist and a singer. For many years, she and Wally sang with the Transylvanian Saxons Concordia Chorus in Youngstown, making two concert tours in Europe with the group.

But to Kay's family and many friends, her biggest talents were as a cook and hostess supreme. Her home was often a gathering place and Party Central, expected and unexpected – many planned parties and fine-dining dinners, but mostly impromptu -- and she took pride in "getting the food ready," even at a moment's notice. Her most amazing talent came out when unexpected guests arrived as she was preparing supper. She'd send Wally or her kids out the back door to the store for more ingredients, then invited those guests, and it looked she planned for them all along. Her most popular fixings: spaghetti sauce "from the old country" for supper and pancakes for breakfast; her kids loved to call them "manhole covers." And while she was cooking, she made it clear: "Get out of my kitchen!"

Kay was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hermitage, where she was a member of the Dorcas Society. She was a former member of the Sharpsville Women's Club.

She is survived by two daughters, Kathie Wachter, and her companion, Matt Curic, of Sharon, and Debbie Wachter, of New Castle; her son, Walter J. "Skip", and his wife, Patty, of Harrisburg; three grandchildren, Courtney Wachter and Derek Wachter and his wife, Brooke; and two great-grandchildren, Jacoby David Wachter and Josie Alana Wachter.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother,  John Bochu, and sisters Mary Ann Lewis and Caroline Frank.

The Wachter family extends a special thank-you to the staffs of Hospitality Care Center and Heartland Hospice for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Kay's memory may be made to the Memorial Fund of her church.

Calling hour will be 10 a.m. until the time of service Monday (9-23-19) in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 3325 Morefield Road , Hermitage. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday in the church, with Rev. Gary Nelson, pastor, officiating.

Interment: America's Cemetery, Hermitage.