Katherine Joyce (Jacobsen) Lee

Kathy was born in Portland, Oregon on January 31, 1948, to Stanley and Doris Jacobsen. A feisty younger sister to George and a loving older sister to Karen and Karlene, she was the blue-eyed blonde in the group. A lifelong Portlander, she grew up in North Portland and attended Jefferson High School.

A friend of her brother George, Kathy met Ken Lee when she was just a kid. Seeing something special in him and someone to take care of, she married Ken when she was nineteen. Together they celebrated fifty-eight years of marriage. Anxious to have a secure future, Kathy was both a tremendously hard worker and a frugal penny pincher in those early days. She began her career with the phone company when she was eighteen years old where she quickly ascended the ranks to become the manager of Operator Services in Oregon. Kathy took the advice of her grandfather where she both found ways to save money and invest in the stock market as she focused on the years ahead. Her ambition allowed her to retire at a young age where she enjoyed nearly thirty years of retirement.

Kathy and Ken raised their two daughters, Marci and Terri, in the Southeast home they have lived in for the last fifty-four years. Among her many hobbies and activities, Kathy was often seen working in the yard. She was an expert at keeping the weeds under control but took great delight whenever there was a pruning job at hand. She loved to cut back bushes and shrubs whether they really needed it or not! A lover of birds and critters, she kept them all fed and enjoyed seeing them in her beautiful yard.

An avid sewist, Kathy took great delight in sewing quilts, baby blankets, and her special Nana bags. There’s not a person who knew her, or maybe even a person who knew someone who knew her, that doesn’t have one of her comforting creations (or several). Possibly more than sewing, she loved to shop for fabric. She believed in the motto that the one with the most fabric wins, and she was certainly a winner!

Perhaps her greatest achievement was being Nana to many children who were blessed to have her in their lives. When her beloved sister Karen passed away, Karen’s first three grandchildren were just babies. Kathy didn’t want her sister’s children or grandchildren to be without a mother and grandmother figure in their lives so she sought to do her best to offer that support to them. The Nana moniker was born then so it could encompass a role for many; honorary grandkids, biological grandkids, and other special kids. She deeply loved each of the children who were fortunate to have her as their Nana.

Kathy passed away peacefully on April 12, 2025. She wasn’t one for attention and requested a simple graveside service with her immediate family at Rose City Cemetery.