Snow White (fan)

Fan
Name:	Snow White
Alias(es):	Snow, Kathy S
Type:	fanzine editor, convention organizer
Fandoms:	Professionals Blake's 7
Communities:
Other:
URL:	AO3 account
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Snow White (also known as Kathy S or simply "Snow") was a prominent member of the Southern California slash fandom community in the 1980s-early 2000s. Her entry into fandom dated back to the 1980s where she hosted some of the Blake Bashes. She was known for her generous heart in sharing her collection of fanzines and fan art (primarily The Professionals fandom) and for her participation in the Escapade convention and the Southern California SlashBashers.

In 2012 she was interviewed as part of the Media Fandom Oral History Project Interview with Snow White. In this interview she talked about what fandom meant to her:

It is about fandom, but it is more about friendships that you make in fandom and that you keep forever. Yes the common thread is fandom and usually slash fandom, but not always slash..the more important thing is that you're a fan... a willingness to share our passions....we share life, the good times, the bad times and we are there for one another...we're a support group and a family. And I think that is what fandom in general is....it is an experience that I would never ever give up. It has enriched my life. It has give me an appreciation for the world and a wider vision. And that is the true value of fandom. It makes you look at yourself and realize what is really important and to be able to share on many many levels. And that is what fandom is....and what Southern California fandom is.... ...the Southern California group is still going strong. We still meet every month, the core group now is — we’re down to about fifteen or eighteen, still sharing, still talking about fandom. When we get together, we talk about fandom, but we talk about other things, things that interest us. One of the women is very much into costuming, so she will bring examples of her current costuming and we share. We share life and I think that’s what’s really important about our group: we share life, we share our passions, we share the good times, we share the bad times, but we’re there for one another. We’re a support group, we’re family. I’m probably closer to people in fandom than I am with some of my own family, and I think that is what fandom is, not just the Southern California group, but fandom in general. I’ve made lifelong friends on three continents, and it’s an experience that I would never, ever give up, because it has enriched my life. It has given me an appreciation for the world, the wider vision of the world, and I think that, more than anything, is the true value of fandom. And it makes you look at yourself; it makes you realize what is truly, truly important, and to be able to share on many, many levels. So that is what fandom is and what the Southern California fandom is.

Snow White also edited A Medical View of Hurt/Comfort, which was written by Vonne Shepard a fan with nursing experience. And she served on the Mountain Media Con Concom in the 1990s. In the 1980s, she help launch the fanzine What If... (Professionals zine) by commissioning some of the artwork that accompanied the fanfiction. She would often buy original fan art from struggling fan artists to support them, she would then remove art from her walls and gift it to others and hang the new art in its place.

Snow passed away in January 2023. The Southern California slash fandom community held a Zoom memorial for her on February 26, 2023.

Memories/Recollections

[Momstrom] I was acquainted with Snow through Trek fandom and enjoyed her company a number of times. She was an intelligent and creative person who loved fandom, and an example of a trufan, who was willing to give of her time and energy to join in and help others join in the fun. Many of us will miss her.

Comment in Morgan Dawn's Feb 8, 2023 Facebook post quoted with permission

Agnes T: She was a grand dame, a gracious lady, and will be missed!

Comment left at Brenda A's public Facebook post January 31, 2023

[carbonel] I'm really sorry to hear this. I always enjoyed seeing her at Escapade.

Comment left at Morgan Dawn's Feb 8, 2023 Dreamwidth post

[FMParkinson] I was sad to read the ProsLib message that Kathy had died. She came to at least one of the Weekend by the Lake/Nattercons at Milton Keynes, though I didn't really get to know her then. But it was lovely in these last couple of years to see and chat to her at the Global ProsWatch occasions and especially at the online Bistocons. And she gave me the impetus to take another look at one of my WriteTime pieces and make it into a longer story, for which I was very grateful. All my sympathy to her family and close friends.

comment left at the Feb 10, 2023 Kathy Snow - In Memorium Livejournal post

I was sorry to read yesterday in a ProsLib message that long-time Pros fan Kathy Snow recently died. I was only ever in contact with her over the internet, briefly back in 2009 about her zine publishing, and then more recently "meeting" her via krisserci5's Global ProsWatch and Zoom chat events, although I almost met her when she and krisserci5 were hoping to visit us on one of our Derbyshire Pros holidays - sadly they weren't able to make it at the last minute. I know she was one of the people who helped to keep Pros fandom and our lads around for so long through all her activities, and am sure she will be much missed in her Southern California fandom circle. Her own Pros stories can be found at the Circuit Archive, in the ProsLib Library and at AO3. She also posted the last part of a story for our Discovered in a Snowglobe Christmas challenge, entitled, now rather poignantly, The Last Chapter

[Carol R] She was such a staple in Pros and I enjoyed the hours I spend with her at cons.

comment left at Morgan Dawn's Feb 9, 2023 Facebook post

[Msmoat/PFL]: I have been in Pros fandom for nearly thirty years. I knew Snow for many years. At first, I just occasionally met her at a con, and purchased wonderful copies of Harlequin Airs and Master of the Revels that she kept in print. I began to know her well when we were both involved on the concom for BistoCon. We had so much fun preparing everything for the con, participating in it, playing Pros Against Humanity, and finishing with a lovely group breakfast at Cracker Barrel. In 2020, Snow was diagnosed with a terminal condition. She had to move from her house to an assisted living place. (Following Snow's usual tendency, it was an amazing place she found). The group of us associated with BistoCon had been told she might not live long, and so we decided to begin weekly zoom meetings in order to keep in touch with Snow. The pandemic, of course, also developed, and this weekly meeting was wonderful for us all. In August 2020 we quickly developed and threw an online BistoCon!. Snow, of course, was deeply involved in that. But honestly, it was those weekly meetings with Snow and everyone that meant so much to me for more years than I originally thought they'd last. Because of BistoCon, because of these weekly meetings, Snow shifted for me from a fandom acquaintance to a good, close friend--shared fandom, yes, but also so much more was shared between us. We held our usual weekly meeting on Thursday, January 26. That Sunday, Snow went to the hospital, and she passed away on Tuesday. I am so devastated at the loss of Snow, but also very grateful that we had all of this closeness. For all of us Pros fans, there are wonderful stories and contributions from Snow that will live on. For those of us who knew her well, wonderful memories will sustain us. And of course, we all know that right now she's up in heaven, chatting with several fan friends who are there, and no doubt with a certain Lewis as well.

[LilyK]Snow was a fun, funny, strong woman. She had definite thoughts and opinions about hundreds (if not thousands) of Pros stories. She could remember titles and authors so much better than I could. We shared several loves, The Professionals and the Tenth Doctor. I will miss her terribly. She was generous to others. I remember in 2015 I was in London and she hired a car, came and picked me up from my flat, and with another wonderful friend, the three of us toured the city looking for Pros locations (and found a lot!) Had lunch at a "Pros pub", the Scarsdale. I have so many great memories of Snow. She was a fellow BistoCon con-com member and always had great ideas to make the weekend memorable for everybody. Thank you, Snow, for making my fandom and personal life so enjoyable.