The daughter of Carl L. and Linda P. (Bartholomew) Stauffer, Katie was a 2001 graduate of Quakertown High School. She was the class Valedictorian, was a National Merit Scholar, received the WPVI-TV 6 "Best of the Class 2001" Award, received the Comcast Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship, received the President's Education Award, and President's Student Service Award. She was also the MVP of the 2001 Quakertown High School Swim team and loved music and art. At the time of her death she was a sophomore at Swarthmore College, a National Dean's List student and a member of the Swarthmore swim team. She was on the Swarthmore Centennial Conference Gold Medal 200 Free Relay team in 2002 and 2003. Her college major was Pre-Med/Psychology and she wanted to pursue a career in genetics. She worked for Fleck's Bakery at Q-Mart in Quakertown and was also a lifeguard and swim instructor. Katie tragically lost her life in an auto accident while on her way to Florida. Her family is donating $200,000 of the insurance settlement money to create an arts center to be called "The Katie Stauffer Arts & Cultural Center". The following Lord Byron poem is inscribed on the reverse side of her gravestone:
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er the brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er the brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
The daughter of Carl L. and Linda P. (Bartholomew) Stauffer, Katie was a 2001 graduate of Quakertown High School. She was the class Valedictorian, was a National Merit Scholar, received the WPVI-TV 6 "Best of the Class 2001" Award, received the Comcast Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship, received the President's Education Award, and President's Student Service Award. She was also the MVP of the 2001 Quakertown High School Swim team and loved music and art. At the time of her death she was a sophomore at Swarthmore College, a National Dean's List student and a member of the Swarthmore swim team. She was on the Swarthmore Centennial Conference Gold Medal 200 Free Relay team in 2002 and 2003. Her college major was Pre-Med/Psychology and she wanted to pursue a career in genetics. She worked for Fleck's Bakery at Q-Mart in Quakertown and was also a lifeguard and swim instructor. Katie tragically lost her life in an auto accident while on her way to Florida. Her family is donating $200,000 of the insurance settlement money to create an arts center to be called "The Katie Stauffer Arts & Cultural Center". The following Lord Byron poem is inscribed on the reverse side of her gravestone:
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er the brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er the brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
