Kathy Willens

Kathy Ann Willens (December 8, 1949 – July 16, 2024) was an American photographer and photojournalist. One of the first women photojournalists to work for the Associated Press, she shot more than 90,000 images during her 45-year career.

Early life Kathy Ann Willens was born on December 8, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan, to G. Lionel and Gertrude Willens. Her father owned a jewelry store and her mother was a dental hygienist. She had two older brothers, Alan Rush Willens (born 1936) and John Stuart Willens (born 1939) She grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan,

After graduating from college, Willens got her first job at a suburban Detroit tabloid, Spinal Column. She earned $5 for every photo it of hers which it ran.

She moved to Miami, Florida, after a few months, after getting a lead on a photography lab technician job with the Miami News newspaper. She won a job as a full-time staff photographer after an older employee retired. King liked the photo so much that it became the cover of King's 2021 autobiography, All In. Kraus had replaced Willens. His death struck her hard, and she resolved to stay in the U.S. to shoot more news and sports.

Stories and events that were big and ongoing were the most attractive things for Willens to document with her photography.

Shortly after her retirement, Willens was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died of the disease at her home in Brooklyn, on July 16, 2024, at the age of 74. The Yankees honored Willens with a moment of silence before their game on July 20.