Kathleen Gosnell Seiler

Kathleen Gosnell Seiler died peacefully on December 1, 2020 at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb. Kathy was born in New York on June 12, 1945, the oldest child of Kathleen (Moore) and Robert H. Gosnell. She grew up in DeKalb and attended St. Mary School and DeKalb High School. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BS in Journalism in 1970. After working for a few years in the Chicago area, she moved to southern California in 1975. She worked for the Los Angeles Times for 23 years and retired in 2009 as a Copy Editor. During her years at the paper, she worked on many LA area stories, including a story about the 1994 Northridge earthquake, for which she, along with her colleagues, won a Pulitzer Prize. In 1995, Kathy was tasked with revising and compiling the Style and Usage Guide for the Los Angeles Times. This comprehensive primer on the use of language continues to guide the paper's writers and editors to this day.

After retiring, Kathy moved to Terre Haute IN, then Baltimore MD before returning home to DeKalb. During her retirement, she was a free-lance editor, working on many books, articles and stories. She also volunteered with CASA in Terre Haute and as a youth tutor in Baltimore and DeKalb.

Kathy is survived by her daughter Jessie Seiler; siblings, Bob Gosnell, Mary (Frank) Koczan, Mike Gosnell and Judy (Rick) Ewens; nephews JohnPaul (Cass) Koczan, Pete (Anna) Koczan, Aaron (Shannon) Hansen and Tyler Ridino; great-nieces Emily and Brielle Hansen and great-nephews Chris and William Hansen and Colton Burghardt. She is further survived by many cousins and friends, especially her 3 Amigas from CASA in Terre Haute, Julie, Kathy and Connie.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her son, Sandy Seiler; niece, Allison Burghardt; and infant nephews, Joey and Gregory Koczan.

It was Kathy's wish to donate her body to NIU's Medical School. There, she will be helping to train future doctors. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will not be a gathering of family and friends at this time. A chance to meet and celebrate Kathy's life will be planned in 2021.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. ( www.nabjla.com ) or to Stacey Abrams' organization working to promote fair elections in Georgia and around the country: Fair Fight ( www.fairfight.com ). Arrangements were entrusted to: Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL, 60115 (815) 758-3841.