Obituary

Katherine Dorothy “Kitty” Runk (née Durell) was born in November of 1922, in Broussard, LA and departed September 4, 2023 in Irvine, CA. She was only two months shy of her 101st birthday. The daughter of the late Henry and Marie Breaux Durell. Kitty was the eldest of four children. She learned to drive at age 12 in Lafayette, LA, the town where she was raised until her early 20s. Kitty was an independent, Type A personality, always having fun while entertaining the Durell-Breaux clan. She met her “one and only” beloved husband of many years, Robert “Bob”/“RJ” Runk (predeceased 2007), who was from a small Louisiana town called Franklin. They were married in 1946 after Bob’s return from the U.S. Army. Then, they moved to Los Angeles, CA and started their life together raising two children. In 1953, they relocated to Downey, CA, a newly developed city, where they resided until 1979 before moving to the nearly new city of Irvine. Over the years, Kitty and Bob travelled to many places, visiting their many friends, relatives and enjoying many business trips. Kitty cherished her husband, home and manicured yard in Irvine, along with her two grandsons, preparing many meals for them and their friends and also attending their sports and school activities into her 70s. She also enjoyed the many cars her husband gifted to her for special occasions, especially her new 1966 Mustang convertible, her family, her rosary, speaking French with her sisters, cousins and great grandchildren, Folgers coffee, her neighbors, good friends, Family Feud on TV, Don Ho and Hawaiian music, See’s candy, Blair clothes,the parties her daughter threw for her, and her favorite dog a Chihuahua, Chi-Chi. At the age of 98, she was taken out of her home after a brief hospital stay and went to reside at the Woodbridge Terrace of Irvine – Assisted Living Facility, where she received excellent care. She will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved her. Kitty was preceded in death by her husband Bob, one brother John Durell, one sister Anne Harding, her dog ChiChi, her in-laws, many cousins and good friends. She is survived by her daughter, her son, four grandchildren, six great grandchildren, one sister Juanita Hebert, as well as many nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, caregivers and Woodbridge Terrace staff that loved her. A special thank you to Ms. Eva at Hospice Care and Fr. Michael and staff at St. John Neumann Church in Irvine.

She will be entombed with her husband in the Guardian Angel Mausoleum at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest on October 23rd at 11:30am.