Katharine "Kitty" G. Cook

Katharine Glendinning Cook

6/9/1937 – 9/5/2024

Katharine (“Kitty”) Glendinning Cook died on September 5th, 2024. Born on June 9th, 1937, in Savannah, Georgia, she attended the Pape School and graduated from Savannah Country Day. She attended Finch College in Manhattan and Armstrong Junior State College.

Kitty’s earliest passions were equestrian pursuits and the fine arts. Starting at age thirteen, Kitty became essentially an apprentice to Jim Williams, a close friend of her mother. He educated Kitty on the uniqueness of each of the remarkable pieces in his vast antique collection, and otherwise became her first instructor in the fine arts. Kitty devoured all of the books he gave her and soon started experimenting with faux painting and excelling at it such that she was surprised when her personal hobby evolved into something that people were willing to pay her for.

Kitty moved to Hilton Head Island in 1973, where she started her professional career in interior design with Islands Decor, Ltd., and thereafter continued with her own firms, Katharine Cook Interiors, the Glendinning Home Collection and freelance interior design for over 50 years. She became a renowned interior designer around the Lowcountry, widely recognized for her creative talent and artistry that graced countless homes with her signature touch. Her work was showcased often in prominent national magazines, and her unique talent transformed anything she touched into visual poetry. Many of her clients also became lifelong friends, drawn to her impeccable taste and endearing personality.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Katharine Boykin Glendinning and Robert Glendinning, and is survived by her children, J. Reid Williamson, III, Robert G. Williamson, and Catharine Parker Cook, her grandchildren, Ruth W. Strock, Carol W. Starnes, J. Reid Williamson, IV, Cassady R. Williamson, Franklyn O. Bakala, Marguerite A.B. Williamson, Halsey F. Williamson, Catharine Destiny Cook-Herndon, and Scarlett Parker DeLong, her great-grandchildren, Annie C. Starnes, Watson J. Starnes, Bowen P. Strock, and Heidi R. Williamson, and her brother, Robert Glendinning.

Graveside services will be held on Friday, September 13th at 11:00AM at the Greenwich Section of Bonaventure Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Kitty to the charity of your choice.