Vigil Brings Doylestown Together In Remembrance Of Beloved Retired Teacher

DOYLESTOWN, PA — As candles flickered in the chilly early evening air, the community came together Friday to remember Kitty Semisch, who died tragically last Monday after she was struck by a bus at the Doylestown Library.

The vigil was organized by friends and former students of the retired Central Bucks West high school teacher, who was remembered for her teachable moments, her support of her students, and her ability to reach across the political aisle and find common ground.

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Katherine "Kitty" Semisch had taught English for 26 years at Central Bucks West High School before retiring in 2021.

After retirement, she dedicated herself to improving not just the local schools, but to bringing love, joy, and creativity to the community's most challenging and combustible conflicts.

She regularly attended and spoke at school board meetings, forcefully advocating against censorship in school libraries and in support of the rights of students, who always came first to her.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Katherine "Kitty" Semisch had taught English for 26 years at Central Bucks West High School before retiring in 2021.

Throughout the evening vigil, there were hugs, tears, and even some smiles and laughter as stories and memories were shared of Kitty, whose sudden passing has left a void in the community's patchwork of people.

One person remarked about a rainbow that had stretched across the sky just an hour or so before the vigil, believing it was a sign from Kitty, a supporter of the Rainbow Room and a safe and supportive presence for LGBTQ+ students.

"We all had friendships with her in many different ways," said one of the organizers. "That was one of the amazing things about her. She connected with them as a friend. She connected with them as a teacher. She connected with them as an activist. She reached across the aisle and forged friendships with people who many of us had no idea we could ever have friendships with."

Another speaker shared the profound and special relationship her son has had with Semisch over the years, one that began in her classroom and extended more than a decade after graduating from high school.

"He was talking with her about an hour before the tragedy. He's 32, and she was my age. They had this incredible friendship - trusting, respectful, open, honest, profound, and deep. He's wrecked, as we all are. I'm also wrecked for her because she had so much life left."

Doylestown Borough Councilman Bob Kinney said Kitty "exemplified the best of this community. The fact that you are all here to honor her memory is a reflection of the strength, and the love, and the commitment she meant to all of us here in Doylestown. Her loss is a loss to the entire community," he said.

He continued, "One of the things she would like all of us to do is to continue to fight for the things we believe in with compassion, with honesty, and with caring and with love for people, even the ones we disagree with who share this community and this planet with us. That's the thing she would most want us to be and to do as part of her legacy."

Semisch's family is inviting the community to celebrate Kitty's life during an open house event on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Doylestown Country Club.

"All are welcome to stop by and be amongst the many who loved her," her family said. "Kitty touched countless lives across this community – if she made a difference in yours, please share your memories, photos, or a letter with the family by emailing: rememberingkittysemisch@gmail.com."