Help Kate's son Noah finish school

Hi ... I'm Ann Tracy and a long time friend to Kate Maney and her children Rachel and Noah. The photo was taken by Beth Haynes when Noah was a baby. His sister Rachel is on the left.

I first met Kate when I was the news director at KWSS in Gilroy and she ran a constituent office for then state representative Rusty Areias. Our offices were across the hall from each other upstairs at the old Gilroy Hotel where we bonded with tacos and beer. Although we ended up living on opposite coasts, we stayed in touch and I considered her and her children as family.

She and her son Noah had just moved back to Sacramento (our old stomping grounds in the 80s and 90s) so that he could go to Vet Tech school when she was diagnosed and became ill. This fundraiser is intended to support Noah as he can only work part time while going to school. Kate really wanted her son to finish this program and we, as friends of Kate, can make it happen. The money raised will also help the family pay off some of Kate's medical bills.

On October 12, 2021, the free-spirited Kate (Kathryn Fairclough) Maney entered into her next chapter, with her daughter and son at her side. Kate was a talented writer who worked in the California political scene for many years in Los Angeles and Sacramento, before moving to LA with her young son to complete the UCLA Professional Screenwriters program. Kate is survived by her daughter, Rachel (Kris Hall), her two grandsons (Wyatt and Harry), her son Noah, her grand-dog Jackson and her brothers David, Steven and Michael. She is dearly missed by a great many friends who also considered her family. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Betty and Norm Fairclough.

Kate grew up in the Bay area before moving to Davis where she earned a journalism degree from CSU-Sacramento. Once there, she began her career of working in the political arena which included stints working for the League of California Cities, assembly member Rusty Areias, running his Gilroy office and later was the recipient of a Silver Addy award for the commercial she wrote for Measures A & B, for the consulting firm of Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher.

She said her 15 minutes of fame happened in 1984, when as chair of the California Democratic party's Women's Caucus, Kate drove an RV with Hollywood stars like Jane Fonda around the state to get out the vote for the Mondale-Ferrarro ticket.

Although deeply committed to progressive politics, creative writing was where her soul flourished. She was always working on a new novel in her spare time. Kate began her public transition to a writer's life with the production of her one-act play The Atelier for Women's History Month at the Institute for Design & Experimental Art, Sacramento, CA (3/93). Although it would be a few years later that she moved to LA top obtain her screenwriting credentials.

Her writing honors include Semifinalist, 2011 Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, Shakespeare’s Daughter; Finalist, 2006 Austin Screenwriting Competition, Shakespeare’s Daughter; Finalist and Winner of the Virginia Woolf Award, 2000 Venice Arts competition, Something of the Passing Moment and Finalist, Big Australian 2000 competition, Something of the Passing Moment.

Kate was the scriptwriter for the following films: Da Vinci’s Knot, producer Caroline Cocciadi; Loving Shae, producer/actor Jeremiah Sayys and The Doctress, producer Peter Waller. She also worked as a "script doctor" and editor for many screenplays and books by others.

Her biggest loves were her family, friends, tacos and hiking in nature, whether in the LA area or in South Lake Tahoe. She was also known for her wit and wicked sense of humor. As a sixth generation Californian, Kate's heritage and roots to the Bay Area are extremely deep as both her Great-Grandmothers (Mary Briones, Pablo's daughter and Mary Valencia) had direct ties with the Anza Expedition in 1775-76. They were early settlers in Yerba Buena before it became San Francisco.

The family asks that donations be made to this fund for her son Noah, who is studying to become a Veterinary Technician.