Remembering Catherine Pierre

At Hard Histories, We Mournfully Say Goodbye to a Colleague and Friend

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver

Last week the SNF Agora Institute, home to Hard Histories at Hopkins, shared with our community this announcement: “We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved director of communications, Catherine Pierre, suddenly passed last week. Catherine had helped to shape the institute almost since its beginning, and she had been a communications leader at Johns Hopkins for many years before that. We are grateful for your forbearance during this time of grief for the institute community.”

We at Hard Histories share in the grief of loss, and join in the gratitude for her life, that Catherine’s passing has brought out from so many corners of her world. We extend our special condolences to her spouse, Van Smith, and daughters, Rye and Olive. You can read more about Catherine’s remarkable work as a communications leader here, in a memorial prepared by Rachel Wallach. You can also extend condolences to her family and friends here, on an EverLoved site where an education scholarship for Catherine’s children is accepting contributions.

During our September 2023 meeting, “Baltimore’s Hard Histories,” Catherine not only led the SNF Agora team that supported the event, she joined in during a “People’s Lunch” discussion. Here, she speaks with John Guess, Eola Dance, and others. Image courtesy of Chiaki Kawajiri.

For our followers, we wanted to highlight the important ways that Catherine has been an indispensable partner in the work of Hard Histories. You may not have seen her on the pages of our Substack or on screen during our Webinars, but Catherine’s expert hand was everywhere in our public facing work. She emboldened us. When we proposed to launch Zoom-based conversations while still under COVID restrictions, Catherine responded with a “yes we can” spirit, knowing that our work depended upon establishing a direct connection between you and the research community that undergirds our work. Catherine was behind the scenes, helping to bring to you a series that has produced more the 20 episodes since its inception in March 2021.

Each time Hard Histories has aimed to take a new leap — from launching this Substack to executing an installation in honor of the girls once resident in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Colored Orphan Asylum — Catherine was there encouraging us to see our vision through. She provided expert counsel about everything from how to get our word out and navigating thorny politics to building a team of designers, photographers, planners, and more, all of whom have enriched our work. As we confronted challenges and endured difficult encounters, Catherine remained steady and sure, while always offering an insightful ear as we worked through our own hard times.

Between us at Hard Histories, a long-standing refrain has been “Let’s ask Catherine.” We are grateful to her for teaching us so well. It will be an honor, in the coming months and beyond, to continue our work in the spirit of excellence, purpose, and joy that Catherine expected of us.

Rest well, dear friend.

— MSJ