Kathy Taft was a Pitt County Democrat with far-reaching political connections who was involved in some of North Carolina's most important public school initiatives of the past 15 years.
Friends and family said that the 62-year-old member of the State Board of Education had a passion for education and politics; she was often in the company of state legislators, governors and even a vice president. Al and Tipper Gore were among her wide circle of friends. Within an hour of her death Tuesday, the state's highest-ranking politicians released a flurry of testimonials.
Gov. Bev Perdue, U.S. Senator Kay Hagan and top education leaders recalled a policy-maker who understood practicalities. They remembered a petite but strong woman in a political arena dominated by men.
"The kindness she showed me, as a fellow woman from Down East working to make a difference, is something I will never forget," said Perdue, a friend of 25 years, in a prepared statement. "Her passion for education and for finding every opportunity to better serve North Carolina's children has clearly made this state a better place to live and raise a family."
Taft grew up in Kinston, the daughter of a doctor. She worked as a dental hygienist early in her life, then moved to Greenville, where she studied health education at East Carolina University and received a bachelor's degree with honors.
In Greenville she met Tom Taft, a lawyer and the man she would marry.
They had four children - Jessica, Paige, Thomas Jr. and Jonathan - and immersed themselves in Democratic politics in Greenville and beyond before their marriage ended in 2001. Before their divorce, the two were hosts to Al and Tipper Gore at Figure Eight Island during his 2000 run for president.
"Tipper and I are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our longtime friend," Al Gore said in a prepared statement Tuesday. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to her many friends across the state of North Carolina and beyond."
Praise from Jim Hunt
Jim Hunt, the former governor who appointed Taft to the State Board of Education, said he was drawn to her for the leadership position because of her commitment to helping every child learn.
"She wasn't one of those people who would just pat you on the head," Hunt said. "She would pat you on the head and say we can do even better."
Taft represented 15 counties in northeastern North Carolina on the board. She helped draft policies designed to end the social promotion of students, requiring them to illustrate through testing or some other means their academic readiness for the next grade. She was a strong advocate for requiring high school seniors to complete comprehensive projects before graduation and a supporter of offering high school courses to high-achieving middle school students.
Phil Kirk, chairman emeritus of the state board of education, said Taft was hardworking and effective.
"She was a consistent voice for high standards for educators and students," Kirk said. "Kathy never turned down an assignment and was not afraid to take an unpopular stand. At a time when much focus was on the lower-performing schools and lower achieving students, Kathy was a consistent advocate for more attention for our gifted and talented students."
Committed to schools
A belief that a strong public school education is at the root of every child's path to success drove Taft in her work, her ex-husband Tom Taft said. "She just believed public education was the most important element of democracy," he said.
As committed as she was to the state's public schools, Taft was even more dedicated to her four children and grandchildren, her friends and family say.
She spent three weeks in February and March in Boca Raton, Fla., with her daughter Jessica Gorall and two of her five grandchildren.
In recent years, Taft struck up a relationship with John Geil, a Raleigh divorce lawyer with strong political connections, too. Geil was inNaples, Fla., according to family and friends, when Taft was found at his Cartier Drive home, severely beaten.
Last week, Taft returned from Florida to North Carolina for a two-day state school board meeting in Halifax County.
On Thursday, she went to Chapel Hill to visit her son Jonathan Taft, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. The two ate at 411 West, the family said, and Kathy Taft returned to Geil's home in Raleigh.
On Friday, Taft and her sister Diana, a resident of Oriental, spent much of the day together. They ate dinner together and then watched "Paper Moon" at Geil's home.
What happened next is something that family, friends and police decline to discuss.
Communion and rites
The family stood vigil as Taft clung to life in the WakeMed intensive care unit.
On Tuesday morning, the Rev. Bob Hudak, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Greenville, administered communion to family and friends and last rites to her.
Instead of the violent end to Taft's life, family and friends prefer to recall the many achievements.
"She really was a spirit," said Tom Taft, a former state senator from Greenville. "She was civic-minded, joyful and happy."
