Kathryn Irene Ismari

January 30, 1937 – July 26, 2026

(Kathy, Kate, Kay)

Kathryn Irene Ismari, at the age of 89, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2026, after several months of in-home care. Her daughter, Julie, had been by her side just minutes before she died. Several of her children and family members, from all 3 generations, and several of her close friends were able to visit her during her last weeks.

Kathy was born on January 30, 1937, to Wilbur and Mabel Hughes, and raised in the small town of Gillespie, Illinois. She graduated from Gillespie High School and moved to St. Louis, Missouri where she worked as a secretary and shared an apartment with several girlfriends.

After marrying her high school sweetheart, Donald Leland Ismari of Benld, Illinois, she began traveling across the United States with him as an Air Force wife, during his 20-year career. They moved almost yearly which meant packing up and setting up a new household for Don and their family.

Together Kathy and Don had four children, nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Raising them was her priority and she dedicated her life to loving and helping them her entire life. She was a generous and loving wife, mother and grandmother.

When her children were young teens, she re-entered the workforce using her secretarial and administrative skills at Friendly High School in Maryland and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

After Don’s retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 1978, he worked for the private sector for 20 more years which landed them at the end of his career in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While in Albuquerque Kathy helped raise her granddaughter, Kiana.

The couple then moved back to Las Vegas, Nevada to spend their retirement years and traveled the world together. Kathy’s favorite trips included Australia, China and Peru.

In March 2005, Don suffered a severely disabling stroke and a year later they moved to Roseville, California where their daughter Amy and her family lived. It is here where she cared for her husband until he died in 2018 and lived out her last years.

Kathryn is survived by her four children - Amy, Julie, Michael and David; nine grandchildren - Kiana, Ryan, Brittany, Dylan, Sean, Samantha, Cecelia, Kendra and Wyatt; and eight great grandchildren – Ella, Levi, Riley, Leland, Henley, Penelope, Wade and Elora.

Kathy loved her family. She was a devout Christian and proud American. Her favorite pastime was being with her family. She also loved to read, go to church, play cards and spend time with friends.

Kathy was raised in the Lutheran Church, converted to Catholicism when she married, and became a member of a non-denominational Christian church when she finally settled in Roseville. Donations can be made to her church, Bayside Granite Bay or Salvation Army.

Kathryn was loved by all who knew her. She will be dearly missed.

See Donald Leland Ismari obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/7717971