Kristy Jolene Gatrel

Kristy Jolene Gatrel was born on July 18, 1970, in Des Moines, Iowa. On Kristy's birthday in 1977, her family moved to Mesa, Arizona. There, she attended Mountain View High School, Mesa Community College, and DeVry University in Phoenix. This education launched her career in construction and engineering. Her earliest positions included customer service at Continental Homes, and as a senior proposal writer/coordinator and marketing manager with the Kiewit Corporation.

Kristy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago and handled the news like a champ. She never allowed the disease to define her and courageously persevered through any setbacks she faced.

In 1990, Kristy gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Tatiana Elyse. This marked a pinnacle in her life. In 2019, Kristy was hired as a senior proposal specialist with United Rentals. Unsurprisingly, she excelled at a job she adored. She particularly enjoyed--and was especially skilled at--interacting with her team throughout the United States. She admired her supervisors, and greatly appreciated the company's deeply-rooted integrity.

Kristy was funny, too. She loved to joke around, and growing up with the two older brothers offered ample opportunity for that. She also showed an ornery streak which, combined with her kindness, made her a beloved person among family and friends.

She was artistic as well, and fashioned one of her bedrooms into a craft room; with all the equipment she acquired, she could have opened her own business. Gifts were made for everyone she cared about, including shirts and sweatshirts featuring her pressed-on designs. In terms of music, R&B and country were her favorites, and one or the other would inevitably be playing in her car.

She was also known for finding something she loved, and then loving it to excess. That included her coffee bar, which eventually included enough varieties of Torani syrups to make Starbucks envious.

Kristy and Tatiana likewise shared their love of grilling and smoking meats, especially brisket and ribs. They delighted in sharing their methods, recipes, rubs--and of course a bit of competition in creating the perfect flavor.

Kristy Jolene Gatrel was tragically taken from her family and friends on the morning of February 18, 2024. Hers was a life filled with love, surrounded by family, dear friends, and her five cherished dogs. She was such a dog devotee in fact, that she was known for rescuing strays found along the roadside. And her dogs loved her back. Working from home meant they had her attention all day long; during Kristy's weekly online team meetings, it was not unusual to see all five of them stretched out on the sofa behind her, hanging on her every word. She truly adored each one and gave them limitless attention and love.

This remarkable woman leaves behind her mother Judy; daughter Tatiana; Tatiana‘s wife, Jessica; their daughter, Brianna; two brothers, Tim and Todd, and their wives; numerous nephews, cousins, and relatives of her late Grandma Vanderpool.