Kathleen Douglass Phillips Redding

HENDERSON- Kathleen Douglass Phillips Redding (Kay or KP), age 86, a resident of Oxford Road, passed away Friday, August 29, 2025 at Senior Citizens Nursing Home. Born January 15,1939 in Chesterfield County, SC. The daughter of the late Grace Ellis Douglass and Leland Stanford Douglass, she grew up in Kingstree, SC. She was preceded in death by her siblings, sister Mary Bishop, brother-in-law O.R. Bishop and brother Stan Douglass. She was married to Thomas Andrew Redding (Tom or TA) of Oxford, NC. Kay graduated from Kingstree High School, Class of 1957. She completed her undergraduate degree at Furman University and received her Masters in Journalism (1988) and PhD (1990) in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). She taught English and Journalism at Vance Senior High School from 1972 to 1985, and taught in the Journalism Department at UNC-CH from 1988 until her retirement in 2003. As a lifelong educator, she spent her last professional years as the Director of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association (NCSMA) teaching journalism educators all across the state from the home base of her beloved UNC-CH. She was dedicated to protecting the First Amendment Right of Free Speech, especially for high school age children. With tenacity and her signature warmth, she advanced the cause across the country through her own organization NCSMA and others like the Journalism Education Association (JEA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA). In return for her dedication, she received multiple awards over her decades long career. From CSPA, she received The Golden Key Award, the highest award of their association, for her outstanding devotion to the cause of school press and leadership in the field of education. From JEA, the Carl Towley Award, the highest honor from JEA, for outstanding personal achievement and service to scholastic journalism nationwide, the Teacher Inspiration Award for her positive attitude and willingness to share her knowledge, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for her many years of service to scholastic journalism. She loved sports, particularly basketball. She played basketball in high school and college and coached and refereed for years later. In addition to her husband Tom, Kay is survived by her son Steve and wife Beth of Myrtle Beach, SC, and their children Steele, Park and Cannon; her daughter Leslie James and husband Tommy of Henderson, NC and their children Kathleen and Jeanie; her step-daughters Chrystal Redding of Raleigh, NC and her children Chad, Ellington and Tyee, Sita Redding and step-son Lance Redding; and sister-in-law Margaret Douglass of Jacksonville, FL. No services will be held at this time. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the UNC-CH North Carolina Scholastic Media Association (NCSMA) athttps://ncsma.unc.edu/donate/ in remembrance of Kay. The family would like to thank the entire staff of Senior Citizens Nursing Home in Henderson, NC for the respect, care and love they showed Kay during her lengthy stay with them. Kay’s infectious love of life and warm hugs will be remembered by all who knew her.