Media Isle of Man has lost one of its own.

Kathy Smith was one of the longest-serving members of the Media IoM family and, without doubt, one of the most well-known and best-loved. A true professional and a wonderful colleague.

Born and raised in Yorkshire, Kathy began her career with the Halifax Courier Group in 1976. In 1990, she was offered the chance to join The Isle of Man Courier and made the move to the island with her young family. She headed up The Design Works, a subsidiary company.

At the time, the Halifax Courier had purchased the Isle of Man Courier and operated from the former Mona’s Herald premises on Ridgeway Street in Douglas.

The company was growing rapidly and, after acquiring the Isle of Man Examiner titles in 1987, the expanding Courier Group occupied several buildings in central Douglas, including the double-fronted shop on the corner of Ridgeway Street and Lord Street.

In 1992, the business was rebranded as Isle of Man Newspapers, and a new purpose-built headquarters was constructed alongside Pulrose Bridge on Peel Road.

The building was officially opened in April 1993 by HRH Katharine, Duchess of Kent, an occasion Kathy always spoke about fondly after meeting her on the day.

The Manx Independent was also purchased shortly afterwards and, at its peak, the company employed more than 90 people across its publications.

Over the years, ownership changed, first to Johnston Press in 1994 and later to Tindle Newspapers in 2016, but throughout it all, Kathy remained a familiar and constant presence.

During this time as classified adverts manager, she was one of the key figures in the office.

Kathy had a reputation for being patient, organised and incredibly supportive, particularly when it came to helping new members of staff find their feet.

Many colleagues will remember the time she gave so freely to others and the way she made people feel welcome from day one.

She always cared about the people she worked with.

It was not unusual for Kathy to arrive with home-cooked food to share with the team, ordering baps and bringing in the occasional sweet treats.

Her snack drawer became something of a legend in the building, which everyone was grateful for.

If someone needed advice, a chat or simply a bit of encouragement, Kathy was usually the person they turned to.

Her reputation stretched well beyond the office. Advertising clients across the island knew they could rely on her.

She was approachable, knowledgeable and always willing to help. If an issue came up, the advice was simple: ‘Give Kathy a call’

When the large press at Peel Road closed in 2012, printing of the thrice-weekly publications was transferred to print-houses in Sheffield, Liverpool and North Wales.

Kathy once again played an important role and would often be the link to the press managers.

Her commitment to the company never faded. Even during the Covid pandemic, when the office was operating with only a small number of staff, Kathy remained the friendly and reassuring voice on the end of the phone.

Away from her day-to-day role, Kathy was also involved in many of the events and initiatives organised by Isle of Man Newspapers/Media Isle of Man.

She spent many years helping coordinate the backstage area at the Awards for Excellence and loved meeting the nominees and winners, hearing their stories.

She was also particularly fond of initiatives such as Young Enterprise and the Design an Ad competition, both of which involved visiting schools and encouraging young people to engage with the newspaper and local businesses.

Even years later, people would often stop to speak with her and share their memories of those experiences.

Whilst Kathy gave so much to her work and colleagues, her greatest pride was always her family.

A devoted parent and grandparent, she spoke often about how proud she was of her children. She spent many happy years coaching gymnastics classes alongside her son, Joe, and loved spending time with Kate, James and Marie, whether that meant going out for walks or enjoying a meal together.

In later years, her grandchildren became the centre of her world. Sleepovers at Granny Smith's house and trips to the Christmas pantomime were among the moments she cherished most.

Kathy was the heart of her family and someone who set an example through kindness, generosity and quiet strength.

Even after receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2022, she faced it with remarkable courage. For almost four years, she continued to live life as she always had, with determination, warmth and a smile for those around her.

To her family, she was truly one in a million, and to many colleagues she became something like an adopted mum, someone who looked after everyone.

She will be missed by many, but remembered with great affection by all who knew her.

- Media Isle of Man’s managing director, Sam Jones, commented: ‘We will all miss Kathy deeply; she was well-respected by all of her colleagues at Media Isle of Man, and a long-standing member of the team having been an integral part of the company for more than 30 years.

‘She had a kind and calm nature, never one to buckle under the pressure of deadlines and a great mentor to junior staff members, until just a few weeks ago.

‘Kathy was without doubt the epitome of a great sales person who took the time to get to know every customer she dealt with over her many years as a pillar within Media Isle of Man's sales team.

‘She truly enjoyed engaging with both our customers and her colleagues, and kept all our energy levels up with a constant supply of chocolates, sweets, a wicked sense of humour and plenty of laughter!

‘Our love and thoughts are with Kathy’s family at this sad time.’

- Kathy Smith’s funeral service will take place this Friday, March 13, at 2pm in St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Hill Street, Douglas.