ADA Award 2009

Catherine Klepeis is the Assistance League of Fullerton's ADA Award recipient for 2009. She has been a member of Assistance League of Fullerton since 1991. During her membership in Assistance League of Fullerton, she has held the positions of Building Manager and Social Chairman.  Her favorite activies for all of these years have been the Bargain Box, Santa's Closet, Vision Screening and particularly Operation School Bell^®.  She has worked on Operation School Bell since it became an official philanthropic program for Assistance League of Fullerton.

Catherine was born and raised in New York City.  She is the oldest of five siblings, four sisters and a brother.  Her parents emigrated from Waterford County, Ireland in the 1920's.  She attended Catholic school in New York and graduated from Cathedral High School.  She went on to New York University and became a Registered Nurse. 

She eventually fell in love with a young man named Frank.  He was not Irish but the family forgave him for this transgression and came to love him as much as she did.  They married on February 4, 1951 in New York City and honeymooned in Niagra Falls.  They settled in Hicksvilled, New York.  Soon three lovely daughers came along and Catherine put her career on hold to raise her family.

In 1967, the family packed up the family station wagon and moved across the country to California.  They brought their 3 girls and a very large dog and took a seven day car ride to finally arrive in Fullerton, California.  Once settled, Catherine resumed her nursing career and Frank started his business, Boiler Engineers. 

Sadly, Catherine lost her dear husband, Frank a few years ago.  She still continues with her work in the Marking Room of the Bargain Box and the other philanthropic programs she enjoys.  Congratulations, Catherine! .