"Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." Daniel 12:3 In the early morning of December 19, 2014, A. Kathleen Thomas Glah, of Lancaster, PA peacefully passed away at home. At the end of her full and happy life, she expressed a readiness to join her loved ones who had gone before her and to meet her Lord. Kathleen was born in Craddock, Virginia on March 3, 1922. She was the daughter of the late Samuel Stone Thomas and Helen Noel Thomas. She later moved with her family to Drexel Hill and graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1940. Like her mother, all four maternal aunts, and both of her sisters, Kathleen became a registered nurse, graduating from St. Joseph School of Nursing in Lancaster in 1943. While employed at a hospital in Philadelphia, she bumped into a young medical student and an old high school classmate, Henry J. Glah, Jr., who had written in her high school yearbook, "May we meet again in the medical world." They married on September 6, 1944. Harry and Kathleen moved to Lancaster in 1947, and spent the rest of their lives living, working, volunteering and raising their large family in this community. As the mother of seven, Kathleen chaired endless fundraisers at the former Sacred Heart Academy, Sacred Heart School, and St. Leo the Great School, and actively supported Lancaster Catholic High School and St. Joseph's Academy. She was involved for over 20 years with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. During the 1960's she was the Volunteer Chairperson for the Lancaster Chapter of the American Red Cross, and through the 70's served on the Red Cross Disaster Services Committee and the Board. She also served as a board member of the St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary, the Lancaster Medical Society Auxiliary, and the St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association. She was a founding member of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church and of the parish women's club. Kathleen's deep faith and generous spirit led her to embrace the pro-life missions of A Woman's Concern, Mom's House, Clare House and St. Anne's Retirement Community. The Sisters of the Holy Cross, the Salvation Army, Water Street Rescue Mission, Boys Scouts of America, and many other local, national and international charitable organizations received her support and prayers. Kathleen loved her many volunteer hours at church and in the community; traveling and cruising around the world with her beloved husband, children, and siblings; boating on the Chesapeake on the "Kathleen"; sitting with friends at bridge club; spending entire days working outside on her immaculate garden and pond; and being surrounded by her ever growing family. She was the number one fan of her children and grandchildren, attending every sporting event, concert, and play. Kathleen was a devoted and loyal friend, and threw fabulous parties both formal and pool side: "Did you get the call?" The importance of family bond was paramount to Kathleen, and she strived to ensure her grandchildren would have lasting relationships, gathering them throughout the year and, most monumentally, at SkyTop Lodge in the Poconos each summer for the past twenty years. She was a pillar of faith, always a symbol of God's grace and care, gently guiding and encouraging those around her. She will be remembered for the unconditional love she showed and for her incredible generosity, for her unfailing friendship and words of wisdom, and for her wit and poise. Kathleen charmed everyone with that knowing wink from across the room, her contagious smile, and brilliant red hair. We will all miss the notes, cards and newspaper clippings Kathleen so diligently sent to friends, family, and sometimes even strangers. She was the master correspondent, brightening people's days. We will try, likely in vain, to match Kathleen's incredible enthusiasm for holiday fun: the photos she took of, and sent back to, generations of trick-or-treaters sitting on her porch bench with the "pumpkin man"; her beautiful Christmas decorations — especially the brilliantly lit 120-foot pine tree on the corner and the life-size Nativity scene her husband hand made — which the community has enjoyed for over 50 years; and Easter Sundays that ended in full contact egg hunts in her back yard. We thank the people who cared for Kathleen at the end of her life so that she could remain in her home as she always wanted and as her husband promised she could. We especially thank Wendy, Heather, and Maggie for their gentle care and sunny dispositions. Kathleen leaves behind a deep pride in family history and tradition, which she passed on to her seven children: Harry Glah III, MaryEllen Genoese, and Joanne Glah of Lancaster; Margaret Benz of Lancaster and London; Kathleen McDonald and Patricia Glah of Florida; and Christine Greer of Michigan; 24 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren; her brother William Thomas of Florida; and many nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Henry J. Glah, Jr., and by her sisters, Anne Thomas Webber and Elizabeth Thomas Glah, brother Samuel Thomas, granddaughters Kathleen Noel Benz and Grace Glah Greer, grandson Marco Gonzalez, and daughter-in-law Inta Kirsteins Glah. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to a Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 558 W. Walnut St., Lanc., on Saturday, January 3, 2015, at 11:30 a.m. with the Rev. T. Antony Raja officiating. There will be a visitation with the family at the church from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. Please dress with a splash of the bright colors from Kathleen's garden which she loved so much. Entombment will immediately follow at St. Joseph's New Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Kathleen's memory to A Woman's Concern, 616 N. Duke Street, Lanc. 17602, or St. Anne's Retirement Community, 3952 Columbia Avenue, Col. 17512 (memo line: Memory Support Unit). To honor Kathleen we ask everyone to buy a stamp, put pen to paper and send a note to a shut-in, veteran or loved one.