Certified Speaking Professional M. Kay duPont of Atlanta coached some of the country’s top business executives and countless others to take command of an audience.
To do that, she first had to overcome her own fear of public speaking.
Ms. duPont was “scared to death” during her first attempt speaking before an audience at a Toastmasters meeting, said her husband, Jeff Disend, also of Atlanta. Ms. duPont was in her 20s at the time and had no inclination toward public speaking, he said. She had attended the meeting only at her mother’s request.
But she did like to write, and she was sharp and witty, said her husband of 25 years. It turns out she was a naturally gifted speaker, as well.
“She overcame her fear of speaking to become one of the top four finalists of the Toastmasters’ world championships a few years back,” Mr. Disend said. “She was dynamic, funny and powerful on the platform.”
Ms. duPont parlayed those natural skills into a successful 30-year career training others how to become better communicators, said Mr. Disend. She taught business writing, speaking and presentation skills to tens of thousands of employees at Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, he said.
She also was a popular keynote speaker for corporations and associations, and she won numerous public speaking awards, her husband said.
M. Kay duPont, 61, died Dec. 25 at Emory Hospital from complications due to acute liver failure. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Sunday at Dressler Funeral Home, 3734 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road in Atlanta. Dressler Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
In recent years, Ms. duPont took her speaking talents to a new level with performances as Mary Todd Lincoln. Dressed in period costume, she portrayed the former first lady in a one-act play based on her historical novel, “Loving Mr. Lincoln: The Personal Diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln.”
Ms. duPont wrote the book following a lifelong fascination with the former first lady, her husband said. “She always felt like Mary was misunderstood and that she was really the backbone of her husband’s career. She always wanted to tell Mary’s story,” Mr. Disend said.
Ms. duPont spent three years researching the details so the book would be historically accurate, her husband said. It won numerous awards, and Ms. duPont performed her one-woman play before audiences at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, and at countless schools, theaters and other venues.
Ms. duPont was born in Cedartown, but moved to Atlanta as a young girl and attended Atlanta public schools.
As an adult, she found her niche in business writing and editing, and companies recognized her talents and requested her expertise, said Mr. Disend. She authored several books on communications and updated them as businesses moved into the cyber age.
Ms. duPont also helped spark the growth of the professional speaking industry in the Southeast, said a longtime friend and colleague, Jean Houston Shore of Roswell.
She helped form the Georgia chapter of the National Speakers Association and “inspired many fledgling professional speakers to develop their craft,” said Mrs. Houston Shore.
One of those she helped was Steve Cohn, a professional speaker and business trainer from Alpharetta. Mr. Cohn said Ms. duPont mentored him during the early days of his business, and was always available to give helpful feedback on his speeches. She had the ability to hear a speech and hone in on what worked and what didn’t, Cohn said.
There are no other immediate survivors.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
