Katheryn "Kay" Frances Dashley

Katheryn (Kay) Frances Dashley, beloved mother, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, passed away December 28th at 84 years old.

She was born January 18, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Mildred and George Seiter.

Kay married the love of her life, Charles Dashley, Jr., in 1956 when they were 19 and 17 years old. In 1960, Charles and Kay welcomed Michael Dashley to the world. His birth was followed by Todd in 1963 and Jeffrey in 1974. Charles and Kay also had a son named Mark, who died shortly after birth in 1962.

In 1990, she became a grandmother for the first time when her first grandson Benjamin was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Six years later – on her 57th birthday – her granddaughter Brynn was born in Cleveland, Ohio. And in 2023, her youngest grandson Henry was born in Grapevine, Texas. Kay is also great-grandmother to Saoirse, Elsie, Julien and Linnea.

Kay was kind, passionate, caring, and intelligent. She never missed a chance to ask how you were doing or impart one of the many lessons she learned in her long, eventful life. Kay will be remembered for her sense of humor and her laugh, which echoed through the house she shared with her beloved Dash.

She will also be remembered for her role as Clerk-Treasurer of Cumberland, Indiana. First elected in 1991, Kay served more than a decade in the role before retiring in the early 2000s. As Clerk-Treasurer, Kay was practical and always searching for more knowledge about how she could better serve the residents of her town. She was reelected twice, and often took her grandchildren along to campaign in Marion and Hancock counties.

A lifelong Christian, Kay was always an active member of the churches she attended, including Trinity Lutheran in Indianapolis. Her faith held equal importance in her heart with her family.

More than anything, Kay loved to spend time with the people she cared about. She was a proud mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, and always made sure every member of her family knew how much she loved them.

She loved to celebrate Christmas. She found great joy in decorating her house around the holidays and her tree was the stuff of legends, filled with beautiful ornaments, tinsel and meaningful mementos. Every year, she would make delicious iced cookies from scratch for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who visited.

She loved the Cincinnati Reds, and always had opinions on how their pitching staff could improve. Throughout her retirement, she split her time between the kitchen and the living room, where her recliner sat next to Charles’.

Friends, family and all who visited her house will no doubt remember Kay and Dash standing on the porch waving goodbye as they pulled out of the driveway. It was her way to make sure – to the last minute you saw her – that you knew you were loved.

She will be dearly missed by many.

Katheryn is survived by her children, Mike Dashley, Todd Dashley (Sharon), and Jeffrey Dashley (Jane); her grandchildren, Benjamin Dashley (Sarah), Brynn Dashley and Henry Dashley; and her great-grandchildren, Saoirse and Elsie Flook, and Julien and Linnea Dashley.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, January 5 at 11:30 AM with visitation 10 AM until the time of service at Flanner Buchanan - Washington Park East, 10722 E. Washinton, Indianapolis. Burial will follow at Washington Park East Cemetery.

You may join the service virtually by clicking HERE.

Memorials in Kay’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at Alzheimer's Association | Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Help.