Kay led an active and accomplished life. After thirty-six years in the teaching profession, she retired from the staff of Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
Kay attended McCrimmon East Public School (S.S. 1 Lochiel), Alexandria High School and Queen's University from which she graduated with a BA degree in 1940. After attending the Ontario College of Education, she taught Secondary School at Allenford Continuation School, Shelburne High School, Stirling High School, Lisgar Collegiate in Ottawa, Sudbury High School and Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
After teaching almost every subject in the curriculum, she specialized in the French and Spanish languages and served for many years as head of the Modern Language Department at Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute. To further her studies in languages, Kay studied at the Inter- American University in Saltillo, Mexico, the Institute of Languages, Barcelona, Spain, the University of Aix-Marseille in France and Laval University in Quebec City.
In 1948, Kay was the first recipient of the Dr. Gaudino bursary, an award of the International Federation of University Women to study Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During a five-week trip through South America in the summer of 1976, Kay renewed acquaintances in Buenos Aires, including Dr. Gaudino.
The first High School girls' Curling Club in Ontario and the first Spanish Honor Society in Canada were founded by Kay and she also served on the committee which founded the Provincial Spanish Contest. For many years, Kay also coached curling and supervised student education trips to Mexico.
In 1977, Kay retired to her home at McCrimmon which was formerly the S.S. 1 Lochiel schoolhouse. She will be long remembered for her dedication to teaching, for her love of gardening and curling, and her desire to travel the world.
