Kriz, Mary Catherine

Mary Catherine (Kaye) Kriz, 60, of Blacksburg, Va., passed away Sunday, May 3, 2009. Kaye gave up her illness for good…and myeloma no longer has power over her. She is in a place of wholeness and peace.

Kaye was Born in Denver, Colo., September 19, 1948. After growing up in Radford, Va., Kaye attended the University of Tennessee and University of Georgia. She received her Masters in education from Virginia Tech and an MBA in information sciences from University of Colorado. Between degrees she lived abroad in France with friends for two years.

She met her husband, Ron Kriz, in Blacksburg, Va., in 1979, where they returned in 1990 after living in Boulder, Colo., for 10 years. Kaye worked at Virginia Tech as the VT-Filebox administrator from 1994 to 2006. Kaye’s passion for recreation was shared by many friends in Blacksburg and volunteered in local races. She was the president of the Shawnee Swim Club, a member of masters swimming and other running and cycling clubs. She ran many races including the Boston Marathon.

After recovering from an autologous stem cell transplant in 2007, Kaye raised $6000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training by riding her bike 100 miles around Lake Tahoe.

She was friends with many and was well known for her bright, colorful, and humorous personality and her tough spirit. She always had a way to get us to smile and many memories of Kaye will keep us smiling.

Survivors include her husband, Ron Kriz, of Blacksburg, Va.; her father, Thomas C. Camp, of Salem, Va.; her mother, Josephine C. Camp, of Richmond, Va.; her son, Andrew S. Kriz, of Blacksburg, Va.; her sister, Joan Coleman, of Richmond, Va.; her brother Thomas C. Camp, of Williamsburg, Va.; and many, many friends.

Memorial service will be held 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2009, at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. Following the service there will be an informal reception.

In lieu of flowers, Kaye’s family requests donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with a notation: Kaye Kriz Memorial, 5511 Staples Mill Road, Suite 202B, Richmond, Va. 23228. To make on-line donations, go to the web address: http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/ambbr09/jmcgilliard.