Kathleen V. L’Armand
Adrian and Kathleen L’Armand, seated, on their wedding day in Madras, India, in 1964, with some friends.
Kathleen Virginia L’Armand passed away in her home in Swarthmore on November 16, 2019. She was 77.
Kathleen was born to Gene and Wayne Slocum on September 2, 1942 in Minneapolis. The oldest of six children, she was raised on a farm in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she was a proud member of the 4-H club and raised prize-winning cows. Kathleen earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster (1966), M.A. in psychology at the University of Minnesota (1972), and doctorate in South Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania (1971). She was a professor of psychology at Widener University for 35 years, which included eight years as the chairperson of the Social Sciences Division and 16 years teaching postgraduate research design and statistics. During the course of her long academic career, she authored numerous publications, acted as a visiting professor at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education in Australia, and served as a mentor and advocate for university students and faculty.
She met her husband, Adrian, in 1963 during her junior year of college while studying abroad at the University of Madras in India. They married in the Madras Marriage Registry on March 13, 1964. They had four children, Felix, Nathan, Catherine, and Jacob, all five years apart. After living in West Philadelphia and Chester, the family moved to Swarthmore in 1979.
Kathleen enjoyed hiking, travel, gardening, reading, church, synagogue, afternoon tea, advocating for social justice, and reading to her grandchildren. She proudly conquered many mountains across the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, India, and Nepal. Both Kathleen and Adrian enjoyed hosting friends and family for summer hiking vacations in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. She was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Swarthmore, where she participated in potluck dinners and directed the Christmas pageant for many years.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Adrian; four children, Felix (Angela), Nathan (Lori), Catherine (Jeremy), and Jacob; seven grandchildren, Phineas, Beatrice, Oliver, Sidney, Maeve, Samuel, and Leo; a sister, Sally; and brothers, Warren, Paul, and Scott. Kathleen was predeceased by her sister Carol.
A memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Swarthmore on Saturday, December 14, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Trinity Episcopal Church, 301 North Chester Rd., Swarthmore, PA 19081 or a charity of choice.
