Katalin Almay Volker

Katalin Almay Volker, 77, passed away on Friday, Sept 8, 2023, at the Hospice of the Panhandle in Kearneysville, WV, after years of a courageous fight against a debilitating disease. She left this world with a deep faith in the Lord.

She was born to Hungarian parents, Ilona Jeney and Lajos Almay, in Innsbruck, Austria. She grew up in Brazil, in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Her family came to the United States in 1960, and settled in Cleveland, Ohio.

She attended Notre Dame College of Ohio and Case Western Reserve University, where she obtained her Ph.D. in French Literature in 1979. During and after her doctoral work she lived in Paris for four years, then worked at the Voice of America and Immaculata Catholic High School in Washington, D.C.

In 1979 she married Eugene Volker, a professor of chemistry at Shepherd College. Kathy taught French and Spanish at Shepherd College, Potomac State College and at a few other area institutions. On several occasions, she took students on trips to France and Quebec.

Her great love was the fostering of her Hungarian heritage. She was an active participant in American-Hungarian youth organizations, she built exhibits for educational and social events of the American-Hungarian community and received several awards for her devoted work. She was proudest of having organized the Year of Hungary at Shepherd College in 1994-95, which, besides many cultural events, brought three Hungarian students to Shepherdstown for multiple semesters of study.

In retirement, Kathy and Gene traveled to Europe several times and particularly enjoyed staying in Sopron, Hungary and Kolozsvar, Transylvania, from whence their families originated.

Surviving loved ones are: After 44 years of marriage, her husband Eugene Volker of Shepherdstown, WV; her son Gabe and his wife Kristie; her daughter Ilona and her husband Travis, and their children Noemi, Beata and Bence.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Brown’s Funeral Home in Martinsburg, WV.