Born July 10, 1950, Winnipeg Manitoba; died October 4, 2024, Vancouver BC
It is with sorrow that we announce that Kathy died at St. John Hospice; she had the peaceful death she wished for with her children present and siblings close by. She also had the year she wanted, choosing joy and fun and being with family and friends as a way to claim the time she was given to be the very best it could be. As Kathy anticipated her death she expressed no fear, facing it with grace and courage.
Kathy is survived by her beloved children Jennie (Mike), Alex, Luke, and her wonderful grand-children Ellie, Jack and Autumn, along with her siblings Kevin (Joanne), Jane (John), Bernadette (Bill), Bridget, Kenneth (Susan), her paternal Aunt Olga, dear nieces and nephews, and many friends across Canada.
Kathy was born in Winnipeg, the third child of Jane (Waters) and Julian Kowey. As a young girl she moved with her family to Vancouver where she attended St. Patrick’s School until graduation. A year as a volunteer in St. Vincent in the West Indies preceded her training at St. Paul’s school of nursing in Vancouver where she started her career. She then moved to Toronto where her daughter was born, eventually settling in Halifax where she had her two sons and raised her family. She was the best mother while also working as a volunteer in the community, eventually returning to nursing when her children were older. In Halifax she established life-long friendships which continued even after leaving the Maritimes. In 2012 Kathy returned to Vancouver for west coast mountains and forests and ocean; here she continued her nursing career for a few years before retiring; she was then a committed volunteer at the Museum of Anthropology, South Granville Seniors Centre, and at St. John Hospice. She travelled frequently to see family, friends and new places. She loved being a grandmother and delighted in her frequent visits to Toronto (Ellie and Jack) and Calgary (Autumn).
Kathy loved travel, books, film, creating through cooking, sewing, stitching, painting, paper crafts, decorating. Wherever she lived, she fashioned homes full of warmth and comfort. She had a strong aesthetic sense and always made her spaces beautiful for friends and family to enjoy. She also celebrated those she loved by choosing the very best gifts for birthdays, Christmas or just because she saw something special.
We will miss Kathy very much: the fun, cooking and baking together, wine and meals shared, movies viewed, walks in the forest, along the beach or river or to her favorite high street, art projects, museum visits, perceptions she had of nature, art, narrative in books and film.
We would like to thank the medical staff at BC Cancer, St. Paul’s Palliative Unit and St. John Hospice, where she was cared for with compassion, kindness and respect.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:
St. John Hospice: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/order-of-st-john-palliative-care-foundation/
BC Cancer Agency: https://bccancerfoundation.com/donations/general-donation-form/?s_src=BCCSite&utm_source=BCCSite&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=BCCReferral
Museum of Anthropology: https://moa.ubc.ca/support-moa/
A celebration of life will be planned in the future when a memorial bench is placed in Pacific Spirit Park. For information contact: waytogo@telus.net.
