Kathy Thomas Hesch of Raleigh, NC passed on August 12, 2019, at the age of 64, after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was born July 22, 1955 in Springfield, Illinois as the third child of Marjorie and Edward Thomas, who preceded her in death.

Kathy is survived by her husband, John; her son, Michael and daughter-in-law, Cece; and son, Brian and Lorren; as well as, her sister, Leah and brother-in-law, George Banfield; brother, Jack and sister-in-law, Tina Thomas; sister-in-law, Patricia and brother-in-law, Gary Nelson; and eight nieces and nephews and their families.

Kathy and John met in Springfield and were married for 40 years. During that time Kathy worked for the Internal Revenue Service and Drug Enforcement Administration where she received a Federal Top-Secret security clearance. When the couple moved to Raleigh, Kathy acquired her N.C. real estate license and worked for York Properties. Kathy went on to pursue her true passion and began working in interior design, opening her own firm and serving clients across North Carolina.

Kathy had a passion for travel and experiencing other cultures, and immensely enjoyed trips taken to Australia, many Caribbean islands, the U.K., France, Switzerland and many U.S. states. This began for Kathy as a young girl, after she won a 4H contest in Illinois and was recognized with a trip by herself to a national awards ceremony in the Big Apple at the age of 13.

During her six-year battle with cancer, Kathy was a tenacious researcher and advocate for herself and her care, finding numerous treatment options beyond chemotherapy including clinical trials for which she may be a candidate. This ultimately led her to be selected for a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC where she was the first-in-human recipient for a new immunotherapy treatment. Kathy was hopeful that even if she didn’t benefit from the experimental treatment, that others could be helped in the future from research based on her case. Kathy’s cancer cells are still being used in research at NIH today. Kathy continually expressed how immensely grateful she was for everyone who provided her with medical care, support and love throughout her battle with cancer at Rex Cancer Center and NIH. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to the Wake County SPCA. Kathy had a deep love for animals and received great joy from her many adopted four-legged children from the SPCA. Donate at https://spcawake.org/donate Please join the family for a celebration of life for Kathy at six o'clock in the evening on Friday, August 16, 2019 at Renaissance Funeral Home, 7615 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615.