Kathryn JanEne Adams

1968-2021

We are simply heartbroken to share with you, our cherished community of LIDÈ Haiti supporters and friends, that our beloved Co-Founder and Executive Director Dr. Kathryn Adams passed away in the late hours of the night on Sunday, January 3rd.  

For the last 18 months, Kathryn had been fighting valiantly to overcome a very rare and virulent form of cancer. After a brief remission, the cancer returned and her body could no longer continue to withstand the treatments. She entered hospice in late December.

Though we are all devastated by this unspeakable loss — and will be for some time to come — Kathryn's visionary leadership will always carry us forward.

For every soul who knew her, Kathryn was a being of pure light. She radiated grace, determination and a humble spirit of service. The more than 1500 girls that participated in our programs are a living testament to the noble, selfless deeds of beloved “Madame Kathryn.” Whether it was healing a burn on a child’s foot from a charcoal fire, visiting a vulnerable girl's home and family, teaching dance, drama and poetry in the remote Haitian countryside or driving a participant infected with anthrax hundreds of miles to the hospital at 3 am in a 4-wheel-drive truck, Kathryn did anything and everything necessary to educate, nurture, build capacity and truly support the “whole girl.”  

Prior to directing LIDÈ Haiti, Dr. Adams was a tenured professor at Moorpark College, and also taught educational psychology in graduate programs at California Lutheran University.  She worked as a therapist with children in foster care, counseled children in elementary school settings, directed an academic support center, and facilitated therapeutic writing groups for veterans and for survivors of sexual trauma. In conjunction with her international work in the refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan in 2011, Kathryn coordinated and co-facilitated Girls United: Haiti, the project that would lead to the formation of LIDÈ. Kathryn held an M.A. in Writing, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, and a Doctorate in Education.

These are just some of Dr. Kathryn’s incredible achievements. But mostly we knew her as our collaborator, our heroine and helpmate, our inspiration, and one of our greatest friends.  A thousand blessings to you always, dearest Kathryn. Our gratitude is boundless and we will always hold your memory close.  

In honor of Madame Kathryn’s lifelong commitment to providing fair and just access to quality education for at-risk women and girls,  LIDÈ has created the Dr. Kathryn Adams Memorial Scholarship Fund which will provide elementary, high school and university scholarships to all qualifying participants.