When my family moved back to San Diego it was 1999 and I was going into second grade.  We moved into a house up the street from Grandma’s house on Scripps Trail. It was a great decision to be so close by just in case my parents ever needed a babysitter.  I knew it was going to be fun after meeting some of the people my Grandma had already babysat - my crazy older cousins. One of my first memories of Grandma is of her babysitting me. We were living in Virginia at the time and I remember walking into their room and waking them up to let them know I was ready for school.  I was ready to walk to the bus stop and I think I startled Grandma when I woke her up and told her that I was heading out, as a 6-year-old, because I remember her turning over and bopping Grandpa in the arm and saying something like “Damnit Jack get up and walk him to the bus stop!” That’s one of my earliest memories of Grandma. It was a great first impression of the fun that I would end up having at Grandma’s house. Now, there were always people at Grandma’s house. You could walk in and meet someone new from the family or make some new friends and hang out. That's what I felt Grandma always wanted. She gave us all a home base. Grandma’s house. Somewhere we could all go, as family and friends, and create memories, bond, share stories and catch up. I never felt the need to ring the doorbell and despite that, I always felt welcomed. I could just walk in and say “Hey Grandma” and she would turn and say “Hi Eric, John, Joe, Jona, Kevin, Shane, Ryan, Sean, damnit what’s your name!” and I would smile and feel at home. I never knew who would be home or what they were doing, but I did know that when I would walk in Grandma would drop whatever she was doing to talk to me. She would sit down and chat and we would catch up. She would let me know how much she loved me. Thank you for that, Grandma. Thank you for making it so easy to love in this family. We all miss you. We all love you. Thank you for everything.

Kay,

You are the love of my life and I miss you every day.  

Jack

I am the fourth out of five children of Kay and Jack.  Being the youngest daughter, my siblings would say that I was one of mom’s “spoiled ones” and I would like to believe that too.  However, my mom always made a point of making sure everyone felt special and had an endless amount of love for us all.  

My mom was very Supportive.  She was always there for us.  From an early age when I was too shy to eat with others at school.  My mom would let me come home for lunch so that I would not have to eat alone.  Every day she would make my favorite lunch at the time.  A slice of pineapple, cottage cheese, and a dollop of mayonnaise.  She was our Girl Scout leader, attended all our school events, and was there for our many life events. 

She was there for me after the birth of both of my boys.  Once I told her I was in labor, she would get in the car with my dad and make the trip to San Jose.  She was also there for me when my daughter passed and I needed her most.  She brought me and my boys to San Diego where she took us in and helped me raise them. She told me that it was okay for me to move out but I would need to leave my boys behind with her.  

My mom was not only a mom to the 5 of us, she was “mom” to my friends, my sibling’s friends and she was “grandma” to my kid’s friends.  

My mom was proud of us all.  She was at my college graduation in May and even at my age, she was the proudest mom out there. 

My mom loved to have fun. She always had a good time, happy and a smile on her face.  Any event that had dancing, she would be the first on the dance floor.  Her favorite dance songs were Proud Mary and Sweet Home Alabama so think of her the next time you hear those songs.  

I was fortunate to spend my life so close to my mom.  I will miss her so much.  Our morning phone calls, our mani pedis, shopping trips, movies, and traveling.  I love you mom and thank you for the life you provided for me.

My fondest memories of Grandma was during our 8th grade graduation trip. Jonathan, Grandma, Papa, and I rented an RV and drove across the US west. The trip was around 2 weeks long, going from the San Diego to Mt. Rushmore with many national parks and historical sites to stop at in between. One memory I have in particular was when I was angry with Grandma at our Grand Canyon stop. The reason,  I cannot recall. So my act of defiance was to order the most expensive meal at dinner, which I did. It came with a half chicken, rack of ribs, baked potato, corn bread, and soup. At the time I did not like ribs, so I thought I was getting back at Grandma pretty good. I wasn't going to touch the ribs, but Grandma made me take them as leftovers. Then she made me eat them as lunch in the RV the next day and once I took a bite, I was in love with ribs. From that point on, I was no longer angry with Grandma. Also on this trip, while at Zion National Park, we put our camping table near the river and the 4 of us sat and played Hearts. I remember Grandma teaching me how to play that day, and Hearts became one of my favorite card games. I have so many memories of Grandma. She is a remarkable woman living as a piece of my heart and soul. I miss her very much.

Kay was one of my favorite people at cooking class at the Scripps Ranch Library.  She had fun stories to tell and was kind to everyone.  I learned a lot from Kay about making each person feel special and loved.   She was an excellent cook, loving friend, inspired Girl Scout Leader and knew the library like no one else.  I'm sure you are enjoying being reunited with friends and family on the other side of the veil, Kay!  My best wishes to your family.  Jack, Dave Moehle is still doing taxes for the Senior Center in Rancho Bernardo and through you, our family has an excellent tax specialist now.

I love Kay because she was Kay. She accepted me for who I am. No judgement. When Terry was away on the aircraft carrier, Kay would come over and we would just talk and laugh for hours at a time which filled my lonely hours while he was away. 
I miss all of those talks. I am glad that she was a part of my life. 



One of my funniest memories was when I was a teenager. There was a grade school behind our house that I would go to in the afternoon to either play sports in the field or hang out with my friends. It was also one of my favorite places to sneak a cigarette. 
One day, as I was doing just that, Kay came walking around the corner to see us. I was with Becky at the time. I was sitting on a cement planter wall and of course I didn’t want her to catch me smoking so I quickly hid the cigarette behind me. 
Kay approached me and just started chatting it up. She didn’t mention the cigarette so I thought that I was safe. Her conversation never gave me any clue that she knew what I was up to. Although I was nervous, I really tried to keep my cool for what seemed like a very long time. Kay finally finished her conversation and turned to walk away. Just as I thought I got away with one, she turns back to me and says “By the way, how does your butt feel cuz that cigarette probably just burnt a whole in your pants” 
Turns out, I was never the cool one.  It was always Kay who had the upper hand. 
Kay, I will forever miss you. Hope you are up there keeping it real and keeping everybody on their toes. 

My Mom was truly an amazing woman.
Growing up, I was always told how great my Mom was. My friends would say “you have the coolest Mom”. I had friends who wanted to be part of my family because of my Mom. I never really knew what they were talking about because she was always “just Mom” to me. It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s when I finally realized what everyone had been telling me – My Mom was great. When my wife and I started dating, she said to me “you sure talk to your Mom a lot”. My response was, “That’s because she’s awesome”. 
One of the greatest things about my Mom was her ability to make everyone feel welcome and part of the family. When I brought my wife, Michelle, home to meet my family, my Mom took her in as if she were one of her own daughters. I think she spoke to Michelle on the phone more than me. We used to joke that Michelle was her daughter and I was the in-law. 
Michelle and I used to take my Mom and my Dad to the Padres games - she probably loved going to the games more than anyone I know. We shared a special bond over baseball. She would call us up on the phone and say “the Padres are on”, “Did you see that catch”, or simply “Go Padres!” and then hang up. We’re really going to miss that. 
While she was a great Mom to me, my wife, and my siblings, she was even a better grandmother to my children. Those lucky enough to call her “Grandma”, either due to birth or marriage – or just because they wanted her to be their grandma – are truly blessed. 
My Mom truly loved her life. No one was as happy and satisfied with their life than my Mom. She lived her life to the fullest, like she wanted, and we are richer for having her in our lives.
I’m going to miss many things about my Mom, but most of all I will miss how she lit up a room with her wonderful personality and her beautiful smile.
People are who they are because of their parents. I am who I am because of my Mom. I am a very lucky and blessed person to be her son – and to be able to call her my Mom.

I’ll remember how she was always happy to pick me and Carolyn up from the nurses office when we would get bored in school and fake being sick. I’ll remember her adopting half of my friends as her own grandchildren and putting up with far more noise than she should have. I’ll remember her submitting her Tortellini Soup recipe to my college and actually getting it on the dining hall menu, just so I wouldn’t get too homesick. I’ll remember waking up every Christmas morning to a feast that was uniquely hers. I’ll remember her showing up to all the plays I was in and cheering during our bows. I’ll remember how shortly after she had passed, I helped my grandpa look for some batteries in their office; not being able to find any in their normal place, I opened one of her drawers to look inside and found a piece of paper with handwritten Chinese characters saying “我爱你”, or “I love you”. I’ll remember the small things she did not for any special recognition, but because she loved me. And that’s how I want to remember her, being a consistent pillar of strength and constant love in my life.  I hope we can honor her today and in the future by passing on her recipes, reading everything, voraciously, loving each other unconditionally, and cheering her on as she gracefully bows out of this world. Grandma leaves us with hearts heavy but very full.

Please say hi to Uncle Gary for me. Let him know that I still think back on our shared time together quite fondly, and I love and miss him dearly. We’ll take care of Grandpa. Sorry for being a twat growing up. Thank you, Grandma, and happy birthday. I love you.

Everybody we meet in life will occupy a different role to each of us; some are friends, some are coworkers, some are family, some are simply strangers we meet in passing. I had the very lucky privilege of knowing Kay as a friend, grandmother, and even second mom of sorts. Growing up I never realized how fortunate Joe and I really were, being so close to our grandparents. We never wanted for a delicious home-cooked meal because she was always happy to serve us one, such as her Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Linguine, Chicken Casserole, or my personal favorite, Garbage. Yes, that’s really what it’s called, and it is amazing. We never wanted for someone to play videogames with us, because she was always happy to play Bubble Bobble and Super Mario Bros. We never lacked inspiration because she helped teach us the importance of a worldly education by always encouraging our reading by setting an example. She loved the library fiercely (though maybe not always the teenagers running around) and would frequently bring home with her a stack of books she would seem to simply breeze through.

She was fun to grow up with, giving us an abundance of funny stories and memories, such as the time I broke my arm falling out of the tree in the front yard and she told me I wasn’t allowed to cry since there wasn’t any blood, only to realize that I wasn’t just being dramatic and rushing me to urgent care, or when we found her asleep on the couch with a clump of butter mysteriously on her toes. We went on many trips together, whether it be up to the cabin in Big Bear where I formed some of my most precious memories or even driving across the United States in an RV to see the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore. While these grand adventures will always hold a very special place in my heart, I will remember her mostly because she was always there for us. I’ll remember her picking me up from soccer practice and making me listen to KSON on the drive home.

When I sat down to think about our Grandmother, I found myself always coming back to the times we spent at her house.  Whether it be holding her feet up and not letting them touch the ground, her cooking of chicken casserole for me even when she was on weight watchers, or the odd comfort of her yelling at someone across the house, it always had a way of feeling like I was at home.  Like everything was okay.

I’ll remember hanging out in her bedroom and playing Super Nintendo with her.  The facebook comments saying she loved me and was proud of me that of course I didn’t appreciate as much as I want to now.  There being absolutely no chance of watching TV from 7 to 8 pm because that was when you sit down and you watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.  Jona somehow always won, and Grandma always had the answer on the tip of her tongue.

I was lucky enough to call Scripps Trail my home for 20 something years.  Frankly, I probably lived there longer than I should have, but that’s what Grandma Kay was all about - that no matter what happens, you can always go to Grandma’s house and feel at home.

My grandmother loved and cared for people unconditionally.  She definitely didn’t always approve of everything I did - a certain eyebrow piercing comes to mind - but she didn’t judge.  She just rolled her eyes, pulled up her sleeve’s, and helped us move forward.  She would always let us know she would be here for us, and she would always be willing to listen even if we just needed to talk.  Her friends and her family, and most importantly her husband Grandpa Jack, were the most important people in her world and she lived to make our lives better.  And we were all the better for being lucky enough to know her.

I love you Grandma.  For your compassion, your ability to care, your understanding.  For your patience, love, and strength that I think we could all use a little of right now - I just want to one last time thank you Grandma.  I miss you already and I’ll love you forever.

Many memories of such a great lady, my Auntie Kay! Despite being ‘just’ a niece, I was always taken in and treated like one of her own. My first memory of Kay & Jack was being taken to the SD Zoo when mom would send me down over school vacation – such a treat! And there’s no comparison to the Big Bear memories – Rockwellian love and laughter at its best. My most poignant memories are when I lived with AK & UJ in high school. The way they opened their home to a troubled teen was simply amazing. Sadly, in the turmoil of my teen angst, I didn’t fully learn from, appreciate, or show my gratitude to my wonderful aunt and uncle. But I DID and DO appreciate all they did, and that Kay did to help guide, teach and mature me. She helped get me involved at the library, in Girl Scouts, and most excitedly, at the Halloween Haunted House. During one haunted house event, I apparently scared a man when I jumped out, and he reacted by punching me. As I couldn’t see through watering eyes, I went to the back to regroup, ran into Auntie Kay, told her my story. My plan was to ignore it. Kay had a different plan; it was quite amusing to watch a bloody zombie charging through the maze to find the guy, have loud words with him, and pretty much take him by his ear and kick him out of the fun house. I can’t explain how loved, protected & worthy she made me feel.  Other joyful memories are how they allowed me to have a brief span of normalcy in high school – Auntie Kay helped me shop for a homecoming dress, pick out class pictures, plan for and apply to college. Her love was tough and back then I moped about it; now I revel in it. She didn’t let me drown in self-pity, she didn’t let me get away with shenanigans (even if they were well intentioned to be for Christmas gifts), and she spurred me to buck up and move on. I love you so much, Auntie Kay, and am so grateful to you and your influence into the woman I’ve become (scared to think where life would’ve taken me without you). Xo ~Dani Brat

I feel so blessed to have Kay as my Mom.  I am Kay's middle child.  Being the middle child I often have the feeling of being "left out", but having Kay as my Mom I was never left out.  She was always there for me.  She was in many ways my hero.  She was such a strong person.  She was tough, but also compassionate.  She had a husband, my Dad, who was totally devoted to her.  My Dad marveled at everything she said and everything she did.  Add her Five children and she had FAMILY!  Family was the main subject of her life.  She was completely herself, doing things and raising her family the way SHE wanted.  She was a pistol, a feisty, funny independent woman.  She was truly original, a beautiful person, loving and caring to all.
Growing up in San Jose I was one of many of Mom's Girl Scouts.  We learned so much during our scouting years.  When my Daughter wanted to be a Girl Scout, I was so happy that my Mom was in San Diego with me.  She had so much knowledge and so much expertise in the field of scouting.  She became my co-leader.  There are so many Girl Scouts today thinking of and thanking my Mom.
Another subject I enjoyed down in San Diego with my Mom was shopping.  We loved shopping together.  We frequently shopped at North County Fair Mall and Seaport Village.  She always had a keen eye on sales, good buys and helping me to find the right purchase.
Again, I felt so blessed to have my Mom down in San Diego when I was raising my family.  She was always there to help if needed and often was part of my children's special events, care-taking and simply being part of their lives.  I have a great satisfaction in the blessings from my Mom.  She instilled great family traditions in me, such as Golden Birthdays, Matching Christmas Pajamas and gathering together during the Christmas season to make Granny's Toffee.
I Love You Mom!



Not only was she a great Mom she was an example of what a Human being should strive to be.
For those that don’t know me, I am my Mom and Pops second child Becky.  
As a first Daughter, you are typically spoiled with all the wishes a person has for a baby girl.  She would dress me up to “nines” only to find me laying in the dirt playing with the plastic green Army men with my Brother.  She learned early about acceptance of being an individual.  She loved me for who I am, 
She liked to scare people with her Zombie at Halloween.  I guess I learned that from her.  As a little girl I would tell the neighborhood kids that the clown was coming to get them, however at bedtime, she had to hold me through the night because I scared myself.  Talk about scaring yourself, she would ground me while she read Steven King Novels so she could finish the book.
My favorite memories of my Mom were our Slumber Parties.  As a little girl and all through my adult life, we would pull out the couch bed, put on scary movies, and fall asleep together. 
Another was when she use to ground me at the end of the couch so she could put her cold feet on my stomach until they were warm.  After a while we would be laughing so hard that I forgot I was grounded.
To some she was known as the Magic lady. I honestly think she did have some magic.  Her smile alone would brighton your day.  Her stories would make you laugh out loud.  She would tell you like it is.  Her heart was always honest and warm.
Her and Pops gave me the most precious thing of all, a family that is easy to love.  
I am not only lucky enough to have been  called her Daughter, but also her Mini Me.  I am proud to have her as MY Mom.
And finally to my Mom,  Thank you for being my partner in crime.  I enjoyed every minute growing up with you.  You are forever in my heart.   I love you.

I spent a lot of time with my Grandma in my childhood, she and my Grandpa were a crucial part of my upbringing and I’m so grateful for that.
Grandma and I went on a lot of adventures when I was young, and she taught me so much about life, love, and everything in between. 
She taught me to love reading, to always be hungry for knowledge, and to learn from everything around me. I got to spend a lot of time with her at the library from a young age, curled up in the corner of the children’s section reading while she worked.
She taught me to love the arts, we’d spend afternoons at the Junior Theater in Balboa Park seeing plays and musicals, or wandering around the museums.
She taught me how to have fun doing everyday things, climbing up the cinderblock steps of the walls around the utility boxes on our walk to pre-school in the morning, or finding out which day they fed the snakes at the zoo so we could go watch.
She taught me to love food and to love cooking. And that every good dish starts with love, and probably a stick of butter. 
Grandma, you were a constant source of love, tough or tender, whichever I needed at the time. You always had an answer for anything I asked, whether or not I wanted to hear it. And you supported me without hesitation, 100% of the time. I could never say thank you enough for everything you have given me, but I will try my hardest to be even half the woman you were, and to live up to this name of ours. I love you.




I did not know Kay all that well, but I wish I had gotten to know her more.  I am so happy and blessed to have had the short time and memories that I had with and the whole Dotson/Tecca gang.  She especially stood out in the crowd when I saw her at close family/friends parties and gatherings. She ALWAYS had a shinning contagious smile, was so warm, friendly and loving toward everyone around her.  And her hugs, OMG her hugs! I know very few people that give such amazing big loving hugs like she does, it always left me feeling happier, warm and fuzzy. I know wherever Kay is now, she is continuing to smile, share her endless amount of love and warmth, and  shine so brightly.  I will miss you and that amazing energy so much!

With love,
Alessandra

Thank you Kay, for your life-long support of women and girls, your curiosity and love of learning, your respect and inclusion for all people, your straight talkin’ ways at just the right moment, and most of all for your enduring love of family and friends. 

Your light continues to shine ❤️

Kay was an inspiring woman, librarian, grandma, mother--someone I have admired ever since I met her. I am honoured that she was a part of my life in high school and that I had a brief glimpse of what it's like to be a part of the Little/Dotson family. I admired the way she was so real with all of the people in her life--whether good or bad! But ultimately she had the kindest heart and welcomed everyone into her life with open arms. She was always so much fun and seemed so happy--clearly a woman who commanded the love and respect of those around her. 

It's funny but something I remember that made me feel so special was when she put my senior picture on the shelf in the living room--I had truly made it! She always knew how to make people feel special and loved. I will miss her smile and her amazing hugs! 

I'll always remember our bear hugs, and I'm so happy I got to give you one last one.   I miss you already and I'll love you forever grandma.  Hope you're having plum wine in heaven.

I remember the day very well I first met Kay. It was in January 2013, the day of Obama's second inauguration. She told me with excitement that Beyonce is gonna perform who is one of my favorite artists. She was the coolest and sweetest host-grandma I could imagine and welcomed me with such an open heart. I really enjoyed all the time I spent with her. I loved her Guacamole, our visits to Old Town and the time she visited me in Germany. I am so glad I could spend Thanksgiving last year with her and the family.  I will deeply miss her. 

So going to miss that smile of yours!  Love you😘.   

Dear Pam and family, I am lucky to have known Kay who was so genuinely kind and funny!  I always looked forward to conversing  with her at your many gatherings.  Kay and Jack  made  a  handsome , and forever, couple.  I saw their wedding photo posted and I did a double take—thought I saw Judy Garland standing next to him for a second.  It is Kay!    A beautiful lady in and out.  May she rest in peace and comfort. 
Rita 

 I was lucky enough to know Kay for 40 years, she’s my best friend’s mom. She was mine and Angela‘s other mom.    We have so many funny stories, so many funny moments, lovely moments with Kay. And I know we will never ever forget her.   I am blessed that Kay got to know my kids she knew my grandkids and for me that’s just special all the way around .. my heart goes out to all the Littles, you’re all in my thoughts and my prayers ... I will miss you Kay ...

I love you Aunty K...and I already miss you 😘 

Cassie...my heartfelt condolences to you and your family.  I only met your mom a couple of times, but I remember enjoying the conversations I had with her  .  And I still have her recipe for spinach and leek dip. 

Blessings to you all.

Diana Hayes



Some years ago at my Aunt Gloria’s memorial service, I had been self-conscious for wearing shorts. Grandma Kay quickly came to me and told me “if people are concerned about what you’re wearing, then they aren’t here for the right reasons.”

And that is what I will always remember about my Grandma Kay. Her honesty and for lack of a better term, “realness” was inspiring and refreshing. She took me into her family as one of her own, and soon after, Jackie and Emma as well. I will always love her for that. Emma adored her Grandy and I’m going to miss watching their hugs and kisses. I know she is going to miss her, as I know Jackie, I, and all of us will.

Rest easy Grandma Kay. I hope one day we will see each other again.

Love,

Shane, Jackie, and Emma

Please consider donating to the Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library Bookplates. For each $25 donation, a bookplate will be placed in a book in memory of Kay Little.  Although individual book titles cannot be specified, you may indicate a particular subject area and age category for new book purchases. Please click for additional information.

OBITUARY

Betty "Kay" Kathryne Little

28 October, 1939 – 20 October, 2018

El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Valley & Memorial Park

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