Katheryn "Kathie" Salter

On August 31, 1941, Katheryn “Kathie” Salter was born to Agnes and John Salter in Modesto, California. Kathie’s childhood adventures included swimming in the family’s backyard pool, exploring a neighborhood cave, and spending time at Pt. Lobos State Reserve with her extended family, including big sister Judy and cousin Shirley. Her deep love of the ocean began young. After graduating from Thomas Downey High School, she attended college in Oregon and Colorado. She married after college, and the two great joys of her life soon arrived: son Mike and daughter Laurie. Living in San Diego, Kathie gave her kids a childhood of adventure and love, with many trips to the beach in their Mustang convertible (top down!), overnight stays on fishing boats, and trips to donut shops. Kathie became a certified scuba diver and passed on her ocean joy to her children.

In 1980, Kathie returned to the Central Valley, where she became a teacher, counselor, and beloved principal at Yolo Middle School. She was encouraging and caring with students, supportive of her teachers, and made Yolo fun for everyone. She instituted “crazy days,” showing up to school herself with memorably wacky outfits and blacked-out teeth. She got a wild animal permit so that she could share with students her taxidermied menagerie, which included an eagle, an owl, and a bobcat. Kathie even found time to plant flowers and beautify the school grounds.

In the Valley, Kathie lived close to her mother again and helped lovingly care for her until Agnes’ death at 101 years. She also discovered love with her children's former math teacher, Mr. Miranda. Tony and Kathie married in 1991 and enjoyed home life with their kitties and adventure travel, including sailing trips to the Caribbean and dogsledding in the Yukon. Kathie was a talented cook, and hosted many special holiday dinners for family, which grew to include son-in-law Josh and daughter-in-law Maureen. She loved birthdays, and loved ones could expect a singing birthday phone call on their special day. Kathie celebrated her own 50th with a steel drum band, her 60th with banjo players in a corn field, and her 75th leading a marching band.

In 2009, Kathie moved to Oregon to be closer to her grandsons, Jake, Carter, and Riley. No one was ever more excited to be a grandmother than Kathie, and she was thrilled to babysit, attend Little League games, vacation in Hawaii with them and get to know the boys’ friends and girlfriends as they grew up. Kathie and Tony made wonderful new friends in West Linn and enjoyed many years of dinner parties, card games, and adventures around town. Kathie was known for dressing up for Halloween, baking cookies at Christmas, and wearing “fairy hair” year round.

Kathie responded with her trademarked optimism to her Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2007, determined to continue living fully. She became involved in the fight against the disease, joining support groups and walking with family in fundraisers as the Salter Shakers. The universe gifted her the most wonderful caregiver, Debbie, who along with her family and friends, helped tenderly care for Kathie in her final years.

In her last hours, Kathie was surrounded by her family, listening to her favorite music. Our world is less sparkly without her, but she lives on in the hearts of her husband, children and their spouses, sister, grandchildren, cousins, and a lifetime of cherished friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Parkinson's Resources of Oregon or The Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito, California.