Mrs Katherine Helen "Kathy" Fain

Katherine Helen “Kathy” Fain, affectionately known by most of her family as “Crazy Maw Maw,” passed away on September 8, 2026, at the age of 68. Kathy was born on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1958, in Selma, Alabama, She was the beloved daughter to Jerry and Anne Waller. She loved sharing that she was the first baby born that year, arriving at 12:37 a.m. It was fitting that she entered the world at the very beginning of a new year, because Kathy lived her life with an unmistakable sense of adventure, individuality, and joy. She grew up and raised her family on Dauphin Island and spent most of her life in South Mobile County. The island remained a special part of who she was—a place that seemed to match her free spirit and love of the water, sunsets, and the beauty of the world around her. Kathy was a maker, an artist, and a collector of beautiful moments. She loved painting, pottery, photography, sunsets, the beach, and tie-dye. Her creations will be treasured by her family for generations to come, not only because of what she made, but because every piece carries a story and a little piece of her. But perhaps Kathy's greatest creation was the life she lived. She was never afraid to be completely herself. She was fun, loud, colorful, mischievous, and wonderfully unpredictable. She never missed an opportunity for a good laugh and had an incredible ability to find humor in almost any situation. Her laugh could fill a room, and those who knew her well will forever be able to hear it. She loved a good scary movie and loved music even more. Music was a portal for Kathy—a way to escape, remember, feel, and simply enjoy the moment. The Beatles were her favorite, but any good rock ’n’ roll song could get her moving. She loved to dance, and she had the moves. Her grandchildren knew her as Crazy Maw Maw, a name one of them gave her years ago. Kathy loved it, and it stuck. She wasn't called Crazy Maw Maw because she had lost her marbles. She was called Crazy Maw Maw because being loved by her was an absolute experience. She was the grandmother who might put on a cowboy hat and join the kids in playing cowboys, who could turn an ordinary afternoon into a story they would tell for years, and who made sure her grandchildren knew that growing up didn't mean you had to stop having fun. Kathy never met a stranger. She could talk to anyone, befriend anyone, and somehow make people feel as though they had known her forever. She lived boldly, loved deeply, laughed loudly, and left an impression wherever she went. There is a poem titled A Wildflower in Clay that was given to Kathy as a mothers day gift. She loved it because, in so many ways, it described her perfectly. A little wild. A little mysterious. Creative hands covered in clay. A love of Dauphin Island. A laugh big enough to chase away the darkness. A spirit that refused to be ordinary. And perhaps most fitting of all, the poem described her as “laughter and color and barefoot delight.” That is how Kathy will be remembered. She is survived by her father, Jerry Waller of Dauphin Island, Alabama; her brother, Blair Waller (Susan) of Venice, Florida, brother Andy Dunaway of Pennsylvania; her children, Skip Faulkner (Michelle) of Clarkesville, Georgia, Keith Faulkner of Mobile, Alabama, and Beth Bullock (Bobby) of Irvington, Alabama; her grandchildren, Sarah Beth Faulkner, Shauna Hallford, Doyle Hallford, Kayla Allen (Justin), Rylie Faulkner, Keegan Faulkner, Liam Smith, Brent Bullock, Barrett Bullock, and Blair Bullock; her great-grandchildren, Brennon Allen, Mckinley Allen, and Weston Allen; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Anne Blair Waller, her brother, Jerald “Jay” Waller, her sister Patrica Harris, and her daughters-in-law Crystal Faulkner and Kimberly Faulkner. Kathy leaves behind much more than photographs, pottery, paintings, tie-dye, and memories. She leaves behind pieces of herself in the people she loved—in the children and grandchildren she made laugh, in the friends she made wherever she went, and in every person who was lucky enough to experience her wonderfully wild spirit. She was a wildflower in clay—colorful, imperfect, beautiful, and entirely her own. Rest easy, Crazy Maw Maw. Your wild-hearted clan is with you, beside you, and will carry your laughter and your color with us always. Kathy's arrangements are being handled by Pine Rest Funeral Home in Foley, Alabama. In accordance with her wishes, a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date with family and close friends.

Mrs Katherine Helen "Kathy" Fain

January 1, 1958 - September 8, 2026