The daughters of a former West Hartford couple who died after falling through the ice on Cape Cod are setting up a foundation to honor their parents and the surviving dog that brought first responders to the scene, and to continue the couple’s charity work.
The foundation, called the Kit & Jerry Charitable Foundation, honors the “vibrant and steady generosity” of the lives of Katherine and Gerald Boucher. It is temporarily linked to the GoFundMe online fundraising site so people can start donating while the daughters complete the formation of the nonprofit corporation.
“We established this foundation to ensure that their hard-working hearts continue to serve the community they love so dearly,” the daughters wrote on the foundation’s website.
Local police said the Easthams fell through the ice on the Bee River at First Encounter Beach on Saturday morning. They said two police officers also fell into the icy river while trying to rescue Catherine Boucher, who was screaming for help.
Police eventually returned to shore and divers wearing cold water suits found Catherine after hours of searching, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead, officials said.
Search and rescue teams worked to rescue two former West Hartford residents from Bee River on Saturday. Katherine “Kit” Boucher was rescued from the icy water but died. Her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Boucher, is believed to be dead but has not been found, police said. (WCVB/Hearst Television)
Despite additional searches, including drones and aircraft, Gerald Boucher has not been found.
Kathleen Boucher, 71, a retired kindergarten teacher at Bugbee Elementary School in West Hartford, said her two daughters, Amy Boucher Lawson and Gerard Boucher, 72, are retired Connecticut Gas Company employees, where he worked his way up from fleet mechanic to management.
Lawson and her sister, Katy Boucher, said they moved to Eastham in 2008 and remained active in retirement. Their father worked as a handyman, driving people to doctor’s appointments and delivering coats and meals. Their mother takes daily walks, soaks up the beauty of the cape, dabbles in photography, and volunteers for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The sisters got the idea for the foundation after they discovered a notebook in their father’s truck on Sunday. It has detailed plans to secure beds for the Hyannis emergency shelter, the St. Joseph homeless shelter and purchase equipment for the Brazilian Resource Center, which helps low-income, homeless and immigrant communities on Cape Cod and the Keys, according to its website.
They decided to set up a foundation to raise funds for two projects their father was involved in. Future projects will include an IFAW and animal shelter named after their mother – a tribute to their parents’ dog, Casey.
Lawson said the soggy dog was found Saturday next to its owner’s car in a beach parking lot and was apparently in distress, prompting the person to call 911 and initiate a rescue operation.
Kathy said she was 12 years old the day her owner died and is now with her family.
Her parents call her their “best friend.”
This article was originally published on Family of former West Hartford couple killed after falling through ice on Cape Cod launches foundation.
