Posted on 07/09/2019
Kathryn Register Fortson (March 13, 1923 – June 29, 2019)
Kathryn Vail Register Fortson of Jacksonville, Florida died peacefully on June 29, 2019. She was 96 years old and is survived by three sons Cdr. R. Malcolm Fortson, III, USN (Ret) (Martha Frances) of Portsmouth, Virginia; Richard C. Fortson (Mary Stuart) of Green Cove Springs, Florida and Alvin R. Fortson (Lee Ann) of Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was the proud grandmother of five grandchildren Rob Fortson, Anna Kathryn Logue, Vail Fortson, Bowdre Fortson and Chris Hagan and seven greatgrandchildren. She was affectionately called "Mimi" by family and friends. Kathryn was the daughter of Joseph Alvin Register, Sr. and Anna Vail Register of Jacksonville, Florida. She was predeceased by her husband, Malcolm, and her siblings Alvin Register, Anne Rodgers and Beverly 'Wookie' Higginbotham. Her kindergarten class at West Riverside Elementary remained lifelong friends and she took great pride in being the oldest surviving member of that class. She later graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1940 followed by attending Ogontz Junior College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Mount Vernon Seminary in Washington, D.C. Kathryn grew up on the River in Ortega where she met her next door neighbor, Malcolm Fortson, whom she dated and married in 1945. Malcolm's career in the Navy took them to Corpus Christi, Bermuda, Japan, Key West, Norfolk and Washington, D.C. She enjoyed their many Navy friends especially those classmates of the Class of 1945 from the Naval Academy. Kathryn and Malcolm were married seventy-three years. Kathryn worked for H & R Block for over 25 years and served as the manager of the Jacksonville Beach location. She had many interests particularly the preservation and restoration of the Historic "1798 Ximenez-Fatio House" in St. Augustine, through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida where she was a National Roll of Honor member. She was also a member of the Acacia Garden Club of Jacksonville and the Junior League of Jacksonville. She volunteered for many organizations including the American Red Cross Motor Corps and Nurses Aid Corps during WWII, and St. John's Presbyterian Church. The family would like to thank Patricia Pearson, and Arbor-Terrace Ortega for the loving care they provided our mother. There will be a graveside service for Kathryn at Evergreen Cemetery, 4535 N. Main Street on Monday, July 8, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. A memorial service will follow at St. Johns Presbyterian at 11:00 a.m. with a reception in the Peterson Fellowship Hall, 4275 Herschel St. Memorial contributions may be sent to St. John's Presbyterian Church. Arrangements are with Hardage-Giddens Riverside Memorial Park and Funeral Home and condolences can be made on line at hgriversidefuneralhome.com.
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