“Katie” is remembered by many friends and family as Miss Caroline County in the 1964 Miss Virginia Pageant. She died peacefully on August 6^th at the family farm on Paige Road, Woodford, VA after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Born on 9/14/1944 in Bronx, NYC, her family returned to the family’s farm in Villsboro Virginia where Katie attended Bowling Green Elementary School.  When her father finished building a new home on the Paige Road farm in Woodford, she attended C.T. Smith in Ladysmith where she was active in Future Homemakers and won the Underwood Typist of the Year Award.  She kept busy tending the family garden, helping care for a large herd of cattle, other farm animals including several cows which she milked before boarding the school bus. She graduated in 1962, and after turning 18, she worked at CIA Headquarters and later at Georgetown University as Secretary to the Dean of the Dept. of Psychiatry.  Katie met her husband, David Scott Pray of Chappaqua, NY, in 1963 when her cousin, Steve Simulcik (who was stationed with David at Beauford Marine Corps Air Station in SC) brought him home to Woodford.  He got to meet many uncles, aunts, and cousins.  When they arrived at his uncle Fred Simulciks Paige Road farm, everyone was at the pond.  David asked,” who is that beautiful girl poking the stick in the water?”  He said she was his cousin Katie and David replied, “I’m going to talk to her!”  He met her mom Catherine, her dad Fred, her brother Fred Jr., and her little sister Stephanie. Katie and David saw each other as often as possible, until his 1-year deployment with Steve to Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippians.  David was then stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in NC until his discharge in 1966. Katie was a member of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Woodford where she and David were married in 1966, which her grandfather and the other Slovak parishioners built.  Her husband joined the USAF, and they relocated to Germany where their son, Scott, was born.  They travelled to Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and many other locations.  After her husband’s discharge in 1969, they returned to the Woodford family farm.  They later moved to Massachusetts where their daughter Heather was born.  Katie worked for Mutual of New York as Secretary to the Branch Manager.  In 1984, they returned to Virginia (Chesterfield County) where Katie worked as an Executive Secretary for CSX Corp., and later as assistant to the Manager of Daniel Corporation who was overseeing the construction of two large high-rise office buildings in Richmond.  Her last employment was as a Recruiter with SHS Personnel of Richmond where her husband was Vice President.  After 38 years in Chesterfield, they returned to the Woodford family farm in 2022.  During their 57 years of marriage, she enjoyed boating, travel and seeing friends and family. Katie was a devoted mother, a wonderful wife and friend who will be greatly missed. In addition to her husband David, she leaves behind her son Scott Pray, daughter-in-law Susy, granddaughter Victoria and step-grandson Jose.  She also leaves behind her daughter Heather Jones, son-in-law Tom and his mother Judy as well as Katie’s many cousins and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her brother Fred D. Simulcik Jr and sister Stephanie Simulcik Flowers. A graveside service and burial will be held Monday, August 19th at 11:00 AM at the Simulcik/Pray/Jones Cemetery on the Jones Farm at 8261 Paige Road, Woodford VA 22580. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.