Dr. Kathryn Vanderwater-Piercy

Kathryn Ann Vanderwater was born on May 22, 1957 in Madison,Wisconsin. A few years later, the family moved to Aurora, Illinois where she spent her formative years. She majored in Psychology and graduated from West Aurora High School in 1975. After graduation, she became a professional student, attending Casper College, Waubonsee Community College, Cornell College, New Mexico Highlands University, the University of Arkansas and CalSouthern University.

Kathryn met the love of her life in 1983 while attending graduate school at the University of Arkansas and married Jeffrey W. Piercy on July 25, 1987. After they were married, the couple moved to Indianapolis for Jeffs internship at the IU School of Medicine, and Kathryn began working with chronically, mentally ill, homeless veterans through the Richard L. Roudebush VAMC. At the end of Jeffs internship, they were free to move anywhere, but liked Indianapolis and set their roots here. Jeff then started a private practice in Lafayette while Kathryn began working as the Senior Trainer at the Indiana Family Health Council. After seven years of service, Kathryn left the Council in 1994 to create Professional Development Associates (PDA), a company committed to providing mental health training throughout the U.S. A couple of months into her new venture, she was awarded a grant from the Indiana FSSAs Division of Mental Health to train trainers across Indiana on how to complete the states new assessment forms. After 10 years, Kathryns contract with the state ended, and she went into private practice with her husband where they enjoyed every secondwell, almost every secondtogether.

In her spare time, Kathryn was very involved with the Humane Society of Indianapolis and Brown County, but her true passion was volunteering for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras Metropolitan Youth Orchestra from whom she was awarded the 2012 Community Support Award. She also enjoyed hiking in the Rocky Mountains, playing in Vegas, shopping at Burberry, cooking and entertaining, good wine, good books and riding her bicycle along the canal.

Kathryn is survived by her husband, Jeff Vanderwater-Piercy; mother, Illa-Mae Vanderwater; two brothers, Robert and William Slusser; parents-in-law, James and Ursula Piercy; and brothers-in-law, Jim and Rick Piercy.