Katherine Gross Wehmann died of complications from metastatic breast cancer on February 6, 2025. She was 45.

Katie is missed by her adoring husband John M. Wehmann; her sons Miles Harold Wehmann and Spencer Jones Wehmann; her parents David Joseph and Barbara Jones Gross; her brother and sister-in-law Joshua and Lindsay Shelton-Gross; her nephews Anders and Mads Gross; and aunts, uncles, and cousins in Northern Virginia, Iowa, and New York. She also leaves countless friends and loved ones.

Katie was born May 18, 1979, in Arlington, Virginia. She was a 1997 graduate of Yorktown High School and a 2001 graduate of Appalachian State University, where she discovered her love of the mountains and a community that accepted Birkenstocks as formal wear.

She joins her grandparents Courtland and Janice Jones, and Harold and Louise Gross.

Early in her career, Katie worked in video production for Discovery Networks and Biscuit Factory, helping to produce documentaries on topics ranging from the U.S. Civil War to fisheries in Senegal.

Katie and John married on September 26, 2009 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, under her favorite live oaks.  A magical fifteen years of marriage followed: travel, homes, pets, inside jokes, and all-consuming love.

Katie held many titles, but she was born to be a mother.  Always warm and maternal, quick with a hug or to wipe away a tear. Her backyard was a wonderland for all children and her backdoor was never locked.  She was on the sideline of every basketball and soccer game, and a familiar face at Campbell Elementary School. She was fiercely devoted to her boys.

Miles and Spencer are sensitive and creative; artistic and funny and observant. We see her in every part of them.

Katie was a creative powerhouse. A skilled artist and photographer, she was an ace with a needle and thread, glue gun, paintbrush, or a bandsaw. “I think I can make that,” was a common phrase.  She built playhouses, reupholstered chairs, handcrafted journals, carved pinewood derby cars, formed wreaths, and sewed clothes. Her complex Halloween costumes remain the envy of Arlington. She loved music and kites and collected baubles. Every gift was perfectly wrapped and her charcuterie boards were always delicious. Most importantly, she was generous with her artistic knowledge and a natural teacher.

Her imagination was endless.

Katie was beautiful and stylish. She had the legs of a runway model, striking blue eyes, and thick, shiny hair that was the envy of her cousins. Even in frayed jeans and a tee-shirt, there was always a quirky touch - a vintage belt, a colorful scarf, or a handmade bracelet.

The girl had great taste.

Katie was happiest outdoors. She liked big trees, the mountains and nights by a fire. In her trademark bandana around her braids, she stooped to examine every flower, rock, bug, and bit of moss. She loved going on hikes with her Schnauzer, Gus.

She wasn’t afraid to get dirty or shy from adventure.

Katie was fun. She was self-deprecating, with a great laugh. In kindergarten, she claimed to be a dog and bit her brother. She giggled at dumb jokes. Unable to regulate the volume of her voice after a glass of wine, a night could end with a hug or a spontaneous challenge to arm wrestle.  She hated chewing gum and fake hair.  She liked scruffy dogs, iced coffee, books on tape, clever TV shows, and a perfectly cooked pork chop.

She loved being surrounded by people who were having a good time.

Katie loved the beach. If you calculate her days, she spent years of her life on the Outer Banks. If you couldn’t track Katie down, chances were good she had driven south for a few days of sand and surf. She adored a day that started with no red swimming warning flags and ended with a Duck sunset.

The ocean seemed small in her presence.

Katie was a community builder. With an easygoing charm, she made friends in every part of her life. She stayed close to high school and college pals, preschool co-op parents, block party neighbors, former co-workers, and casual acquaintances… people simply wanted to be her friend.

Katie was the sun in her own solar system and we circled around her.

Words alone aren’t enough to describe “Katie Baby”, her grandfather’s lifelong nickname for her. The arc of life seems too long without Katie, but we are so lucky she was ours.  We love her so much.