Kathleen (Kathe) M. Peterson

Our beloved sister, Kathe, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2025 after a short battle with cancer. She was 78. Many family members were able to spend time with Kathe before her passing, and even as her health declined, she showed her love for all of those who were able to be with her. Her sister, Mary, was with her the entire time she was declining, along with her brothers and her sisters-in-law who provided care for her. As was her wish, she passed away at home.

As her brother Jack pointed out, “She was like a second mom to us.” She was the second-oldest of eight siblings. Being the oldest daughter, she took care of younger siblings, sang songs to us, taught us art, and showed us what it was to be a good human. She attended Christ the King School, St. Joseph School, Stevens Elementary School, Meany Junior High School, and Holy Names Academy. After graduating from high school, Kathe spent a year working with students at St. Mary’s Jesuit Mission on the Colville Indian reservation. After graduating from Seattle University with a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages, she travelled through Europe and taught in various schools in Ireland, Italy, and Spain. She also taught English and Spanish at Kennedy High School in Seattle and at our sister Mary’s high school, Immaculate (where she also served as custodian). Kathe had many other interesting jobs, too, but the bulk of her career was spent assisting students in the Admissions and Registration departments at the University of Washington, North Seattle College, and Seattle Central College. Kathe had a gift for helping young people in their life journeys, wherever that led.

Kathe was amazingly accepting, loving, giving, and had a delightful sense of humor. She found joy in helping others. She provided counsel and stability for her nieces and nephews, especially during difficult teenage years. She was the delight of the next generation of nieces and nephews, with an endless capacity to love each person as if they were the most special person in her life. Kathe maintained friendships with childhood friends, committed to lunch groups and art groups with friends and family, and was the catalyst for many opportunities for the people in her life to grow. And her art. Oh! Her art! All who knew her were captivated by her ability to create beautiful pieces, in many different media, which captured the imaginations of all of us.

Kathe has left us with so many gifts, not the least of which were her capacity to love and her power to inspire. She is survived by her siblings Ron (Deejah), Jim (Lanette), Jack (Mary), Joe T, Tom (Beth), Mary (Mark), and Joe (Nanette), and many adoring nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends who saw what love is through Kathe.