MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Monroe lost one of its long time philanthropists, Kitty Degree died around 5 Thursday morning.
Degree was a valued member of the Monroe community, who wasn't afraid to give up her money and time to the community she loved.
ULM Director of Development, Anne Lockhart says, "she was very savy as far as a business women and in doing so, she thought not of herself but what she could do through the opportunities of her knowledge and monetary help to help this community always and never failed to do so."
While Kitty and her husband donated a lot of their money to charity, she wasn't born with fortune.
St. Francis Medical Center's CEO, Louis Bremer says "as a child she was anything but wealthy, and was told she was so poor that at times she would wonder where she was really going to get the proper pair of shoes to be able to wear to school."
The couple made their fortune in real estate, and that's when they decided to give to organizations that helped their fellow neighbors.
Mrs. Degree's name can be seen on things throughout Monroe, and that shows just how much she cared about her community.
Lockhart says, "behind me you might see the bell tower here was named after her, she provided this tower and the beautiful bells we hear chime she helped, we were just currently able to name the school of nursing in her behalf because of her generosity."
Bremer says, "she would periodically just call me and say you know I've got a little extra money right now, is there anything I can do to help, do you have any special projects."
Becky Tripp with Susan G. Komen says, "this is the Kitty Degree Breast Health Center I mean that speaks a lot to that to how important she thought it was, and how much she put into."
That's a legacy much greater than the buildings and projects throughout the area barring her name.
Degree was 90 years old.
ULM will be holding an afternoon memorial service November 2nd at 2:00, at the Kitty Degree School of Nursing.
