Kathleen Ruth Aust

Kathleen Ruth Aust, age 78, entered eternal life Thursday, May 1, 2025 after a valiant battle with Parkinson's Disease. She was born in Johnstown, PA, daughter of Louis and Catherine Aust and is now reunited with them. Preceded in death by her parents and 2 brothers, James (deceased), formerly married to Adrienne (DiFrancesco) and Michael, she is survived by 2 sisters and 3 brothers: Mary Agnes, wife of James Roccio; Barbara, married to Thomas Kenefake; Louis, married to Louise (Sherlock; deceased); Paul, formerly married to Lynn (Buchanan); and Charles; five nieces, three nephews; great nieces, great nephews and cousins.
Kath, as her family fondly called her, attended St. Joseph and St. Benedict grade schools. Being in the Brownies and Girl Scouts contributed to developing her organizational skills that proved very valuable in her administrative career as a financial management analyst and a budget and program analyst. Kath was recruited by the federal government while a student at Johnstown Catholic High School (now Bishop McCort), which began her 30 years serving at the Department of Transportation, National Park Service and the Treasury Department. She was proficient at many computer applications and earned six Outstanding Performance Awards during her civil service career. Kath worked in real estate In her spare time and in retirement.
Kath worked as one of the supervisors of the U.S. International Transportation Exposition, also known as Transpo '72, a multi-million-dollar trade show at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., in May and June of 1972 sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It served as a showcase for all sorts of transportation technologies. Over a million visitors attended from all over the world. The Wall Street Journal described it as the largest exposition the government held since World War II (details from Wikipedia).
The most notable trait of Kath was her generosity. She was one of the most generous people we know. Her brother Lou called her the "Mother Theresa to people in need." Her vocation to the single life gave her ample time and resources to assist others in all kinds of ways. Kath was a devoted sister to her siblings and especially to her younger brother Michael, helping him fund his technical training, buying a home and obtaining treatment for his health challenges. She co-signed a loan with Chuck to buy a set of drums in 1977 which he used to help produce 2 studio albums with a church friend and still uses to this day in an oldies band.
Kath always looked for ways to contribute to the well-being of others. She served on the board of directors at her condominium in Arlington, VA and was chair of a committee most recently at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville, Virginia, where she lived for 20 years. Kath helped to establish an emergency entry/exit for first responders and emergency vehicles at Heritage Hunt. She trained for and joined a safety team in 2006 called the Community Emergency Response Team, designed to assist first responders during disasters.
Kath was a devout Catholic and attended Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville prior to moving to Laurel View Village in Davidsville, PA.
Beading and jewelry-making were hobbies for Kath and she would participate in craft shows in Dillweed, PA and at her Heritage Hunt Community Arts and Crafts shows. She was known for these skills and repaired jewelry in an enterprise she called "Sew-Bead-It."
Kath had a special love for Native American culture. She vacationed in 2015 in the Black Hills of South Dakota and attended a Buffalo herding at Custer State Park. Ever devoted to family, Kath made special efforts to display family photo albums and letters at our annual summer reunions.
Her cousin Ruthayn and her friend Dee were very helpful when Kath lived at Laurel View Village, visiting her frequently and helping as Kath's level of care intensified. Kath's nephew Patrick and his wife Lee Ann helped Kath in numerous ways during her time at Laurel View Village.
The family wishes to express our deep gratitude to the people of Laurel View Village in Davidsville and Windber Hospice. Friends received 4-7PM Monday at Henderson Funeral Home-East Hills, 2503 Bedford St. Funeral mass will be held 1:30PM Tuesday at St. Benedict Catholic Church. Committal, St. Joseph Mausoleum.
Kath requested that in lieu of flowers people donate to the "Louis R. and Catherine Aust Family Scholarship" at Bishop McCort Catholic High School, 25 Osborne St., Johnstown, PA 15905
 

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