Last week, after 42 years with the City of Kingsport, Kitty Frazier retired from her post as Director of Parks and Recreation. That’s 42 years of vision, stewardship, and heart invested in the spaces we cherish—and the ones our grandchildren will one day call their own.
There’s an old Greek proverb I keep thinking about: “A society grows great when old men and women plant trees whose shade they may never sit in.” That line echoes when I think about Kitty. Her work, like that proverb, was never just about today. It was about tomorrow.
If all she had done was bring the Kingsport Greenbelt to life, that alone would be enough to cement a lasting legacy. But Kitty’s contributions stretch far beyond its 10+ miles of shaded trails and riverfront paths. There’s the Miracle Field, the Skate Park, ballfields, boardwalks, shelters, gardens, and playgrounds scattered across Kingsport—all touched by her hand.
I’ve had the privilege of working with Kitty many times over the years—usually in my role helping promote parks or raise awareness of their place as the city’s playground. We first met more than 35 years ago, just as the Greenbelt was beginning to grow. Since then, I’ve watched her quietly shape one of the most impressive public park systems in Tennessee.
Kitty doesn’t just talk about ideas—she brings them to life. I’ve seen her prepare million-dollar grants, oversee developments that benefit everyone from young skateboarders to aging veterans, and do it all without seeking the spotlight. Her pride usually stood offstage, watching others enjoy the results.
One of my favorite projects she helped shape is the Veterans Memorial on Fort Henry Drive. That park—with its markers, monuments, and personal stories—anchors remembrance and respect in the soil of our community. It’s a place I’ll always return to, knowing that stories of valor will continue to speak through the stones and flags for generations.
Over the years, I’ve come to value my work not by the projects completed, but by the people I’ve met. The ones who show up every day with focus, grit, and heart. Kitty is one of those people. Kingsport is filled with talented folks, but working with Kitty has always been a reminder that real legacy is built in the details—the paths we pave, the people we serve, the trees we plant.
Her retirement party at Allandale Mansion—a crown jewel in our city’s park system—felt like the right setting to honor such a journey. A celebration among friends, colleagues, and city leaders. Four of Kingsport’s mayors—Mayor Montgomery, Mayor Shull, Mayor Blazier, and Mayor Wright—all showed up to say one thing: “Thank you, Kitty.”
That afternoon, the mansion gardens were alive with music, laughter, bright colors, and warm summer sun. We signed a poster featuring some of Kitty’s greatest park creations—a quiet but powerful reminder of just how many lives her work has touched.
And as one chapter closes, another opens. Kitty walks forward now with all the best parts of who she is. Wherever her path leads, you get the sense that it’ll be bright, purposeful, and full of possibility—just like the parks she spent her life building.
And like those trees she planted, her shade will be felt for generations.
