Kay Wiegand's impact on Sewickley community remains

When Kay Wiegand died at age 77 during the state-mandated shutdown, daughter Betsy Wentz knew a traditional funeral could not be held. In addition to her grief, Wentz was saddened that the many who loved her mother wouldn’t be able to say goodbye.

Soon though, cards and letters began to arrive. Some of the letters went on for two, three and four pages. Writers shared with Wentz memories of her mother and the lasting impact she made on their lives.

“They talked about the legacy my mom left,” Wentz said. “Everybody who knew Kay knew you were the only person who mattered when she was talking to you. She was truly an angel on Earth.”

Kay was well-known in the community. She was a 14-year member of the Sewickley Academy board and had an interior design business she later ran with Wentz.

Kay started the business in the 1970s, first from her home in Upper St. Clair, and then Mt. Lebanon. When she moved to the area with husband Roger, she set up shop at the historic home they purchased on Oliver Road in Edgeworth. Kay and Wentz worked there together until, in 2010, the home — once the Edgeworth Female Seminary — burned down.

Kay and Roger moved into a home on Woodland Road. Kay retired but continued to dabble in design when Wentz opened Studio B in the Village in 2011.

Wentz worked as a mental health counselor for years, but the decision to change industries in 2001 and work with her mom was an easy one to make.

“Growing up … I would go on installations. Being with her meant learning what she did,” Wentz said. “Mom was like, ‘Hey, let’s go,’ and I loved it.”

Before she went into interior design, Kay also had another profession — kindergarten teacher. Though she left the field, she never stopped teaching.

“Kay always remained a teacher,” said Chuck DeCarlo of the former DeCarlo Interiors, which made custom draperies and upholstery. “She would tell clients, ‘You need this in here.’ And she’d tell them why. … She never stopped teaching. I certainly learned a lot from Kay, who was a master of color.”

While Kay inspired him with her eye for design and commitment to creating welcoming spaces for clients, DeCarlo’s fondness for his friend came from the way she treated people.

“When I first met her, typical of Kay, she was concerned about what were my plans for business, my plans for life,” he said. “That’s the way Kay was, concerned primarily about people.”

He and Kay first worked together in her Mt. Lebanon home and continued to work together on many projects for the next 30 years.

“It was always fun working with Kay, and I knew I’d be working with her friends. Because if they weren’t friends before, they would be soon,” DeCarlo said.

DeCarlo said Kay’s objective in running her business was helping others.

“The primary reason was for her to help her friends and everyone who would become her friend. It wasn’t to make money. Even though she dealt in high-end goods, she was very generous in her professional outlook,” DeCarlo said. “Knowing someone was in financial trouble, or maybe relationship problems, she would grant them whatever grace she could, including supplying very expensive things at a fraction of the cost.”

DeCarlo said Kay was the most talented designer he had worked with in 45 years, but her priority was always family.

The fact was not lost on Wentz.

“She worked internationally and traveled when she thought she could leave. But family was always first, so she never fully developed her business,” Wentz said.

Sewickley resident Paula Doebler has been a friend for 50 years, having attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania with Kay.

“After I finished my senior year (of high school), my dad gave my friends and I the car. We went to Atlantic City. This guy bummed a ride there because he wanted to see his sister,” Doebler said. “His sister was roommates with Kay, and she was as friendly and welcoming as you can be.”

Toward the end of her life, Kay lived with Alzheimer’s, and though Doebler isn’t sure if Kay recognized her when she visited, her friend remained the same warm person.

“I don’t know that she knew me, but I always got a great, big smile,” she said. “She had a big, wonderful smile, always.”

Wentz cherishes the time she worked alongside her mother. Though they differed on many things — Kay preferred primary colors while Wentz leans toward more contemporary palettes — Wentz utilizes the same design ideals as her mother.

“My mom always said, ‘If you love it, buy it. We’ll find a place for it,’ ” Wentz said. “I have definitely subscribed to that over and over.”