Karista Kricket Kaye

September 25, 1963 - December 31, 2022

Longtime Woodinville, Washington resident, Karista Kricket Kaye, succumbed to complications from a brain aneurysm on December 31, 2022 at 59 years of age.

Kricket was born in Pullman, Washington to Bruce and Margaret Harris (Griffen) on September 25, 1963. She was raised in Brier, Washington with her four younger siblings, often caring for and babysitting her younger siblings and neighborhood children. Growing up Kricket enjoyed square dancing, piano, electronics, and photography. At Mountlake Terrace High School she was a photographer for the yearbook and editor her senior year. She also took third place in competitions for square dancing and won a State Vocational Technology speech contest despite her jaw being wired shut from oral surgery, competing nationally in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduation she attended Edmonds Community College and obtained an Associate of Technical Arts in Electronics in 1984.

From 1990-2004 Kricket was married to Gordon Thomas. They bought a house in Woodinville, Washington. Kricket lived in the Woodinville home for 30 years with her cats and beloved dog, Cookie, taking special interest in gardening and enjoying her home and yard. She considered her house to be a little nest of heaven and an expression of who she was, a treasure trove of nice things: glassware, plants, orchids, books, jewelry, color, and design.

Kricket worked in a variety of vocational roles over her lifetime including electronic technician, buyer, and specialist capacities for aerospace and medical fields. She was the kind of person that could take something apart, figure out how to fix it, and put it back together. She also became a certified dive technician, worked in residential and commercial construction, and as a software program manager. Her final positions were in customer service technical support for Precor located close to home.

For enjoyment Kricket made stained glass windows, beaded jewelry, and photo cards. Her handwriting and calligraphy were beautiful. When she wasn’t driving over to see relatives in Eastern Washington, she often hosted family and friends for holidays. She liked cooking, camping, diving, traveling, reading, and walking the ocean beaches. She sought out hot air balloons or snow geese in the Snohomish and Woodinville valley areas. For one of her birthdays she did a skydive and admitted one was enough! Whenever it snowed you could find Kricket driving to see the winter wonderland. The marvels of the unique patterns and beauty of snowflakes fascinated Kricket. She volunteered at the Kirkland community theater and attended musical and theater events. She enjoyed putting together instrumental and holiday playlists to listen to at home.

Kricket was a lifelong lover of feline friends. She had quite a few cats through her lifetime and they were very important to her. She volunteered to rescue and foster cats and was able to spend almost all of her final days in her home with her cats. Her dog Cookie, a corgi, was a special companion of 14 years for many trips and walks together. Cookie passed away July 2022.

Kricket often reached out to people with a card or call for special events or to be an encouragement. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with her nephews and niece, in particular watching their school and sports events. She will be remembered for her kindness, ability to connect with others, and how she maintained a positive attitude despite the uncertain and difficult decline from the aneurysms.

She was preceded in death by her mother Margaret Harris, and her brother Bryan Harris. She leaves behind her father Bruce Harris; brother’s wife Lydia Harris and her daughter Kristy Jackson; brother Tod and wife Erin Harris and their sons Ty and Gil Harris; sister Heather and husband Rodger Griffin and their two children Toby and Gina Griffin; sister Melody Harris; uncle Bill Griffen; aunt Bette Huwe and husband Darrel; aunt Patty White and husband Everett; cousins Lisa Griffen, Richard White, Shannon White, Shawn White, Tricia Base, Chris Huwe, Stacie Hahn, and their spouses and children.

Donations in Kricket’s honor can be made to Homeward Pet Adoption, Community Cat Coalition, and Charity Water.

The graveside service will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 23, 2023, at Abbey View Memorial Park in Brier, Washington.