Kathryn Rizzo Dennis

Kathryn Rizzo Dennis, 74, of Stafford County, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2026, in Fredericksburg. Born on June 30, 1951, in Alexandria to Angelo Rizzo and Edna Eddy Rizzo, she graduated from Edison High School in Fairfax County in 1969 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Mary Washington College.

Kathryn dedicated more than twenty years to teaching Biology and Chemistry at Stafford High School, where she made a lasting impact on generations of students, and also taught at the Virginia Governor’s School. She gave generously of her time in service to her community, supporting the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office as a volunteer in the V.I.P.S. program with the K9, Mounted Equine, Children’s Victim, and Patrol units. She also served on the Department of Social Services Board and the Spotsylvania County School Board.

Her greatest passion was for animals, especially horses and dogs. For decades she owned and operated a successful Arabian horse breeding program, showing her horses alongside her daughter, Kimberly. She served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Arabian Horse Association and was a member of the International Arabian Horse Association. She also found joy in gardening and sharing her love of nature and learning with her daughter and granddaughters.

Kathryn is survived by her husband of 55 years, Charles H. Dennis, Jr.; her daughter, Kimberly Dennis Keene (Glen MacDonald); two grandchildren, Ashley and Emily Keene; her sister, Jean Purkey (Delbert); and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Angelo and Edna Eddy Rizzo; her sister, Dale Dodson; and her brother, Paul Rizzo.