We honor the lives and legacies of two beloved members of the KCMF community: Margaret “Patty” Stout (1937-December 16, 2023) and Bettina “Tina” Letcher (May 11, 1938-July 16, 2023). “They were dear friends,” says David Kim, who founded KCMF in 1989. “As KCMF became bigger, I knew I needed help. The first person I went to was someone I knew was a big supporter of the arts in South County: Patty Stout.” Together, with Kim as artistic director and Stout as president, they created the festival’s first board.
Steve Letcher–a Professor of Physics at URI at the time–joined as the board’s first treasurer and held that position for 25 years. His wife Tina provided another invaluable form of support for KCMF: hosting dinners and receptions at her home after concerts. “We didn’t have a lot of big parties in general,” Letcher notes. “But Tina loved doing it for David!”
“I created the festival with dedicated people like Patty and Tina,” Kim notes. “They said, ‘I’ll just do it for one term’ and ended up staying in some capacity for the rest of their lives because they loved it so much.” Thirty-six years later, the thriving festival is a testament to the commitment, hard work, and passion of these women. As Kim says, “Chamber music is all about relationships.”
Tina Letcher kept beautifully written journals, rich with history, about KCMF, which her husband Steve has generously shared with us for all to enjoy. Read them here.
