Kitty earned her bachelor and master's degrees from Northwestern University. 

Kitty retired in 2010 as the executive director of Arizona State University Career Services, after serving as the director of ASU's Business Career Center at the W.P. Carey School of Business. Kitty had previously served as the University of Notre Dame director of career and placement services for 15 years and prior to that was the director of Career Services at Indiana University at South Bend and associate director of the Career Center at Indiana University at Bloomington.

Kitty received many awards for her exemplary professional association service and from the universities where she was employed.

A celebration of her life will be held in the fall at the First United Methodist Church of Gilbert. Those wishing to honor Kitty can make a donation to the Gary and Kitty McGrath University of Minnesota, Morris scholarship fund.