May 28, 1940 ~ April 10, 2019
Kay passed away peacefully at the Carmel Valley Manor, her home for the last four and a half years.
She was born in Seattle, to Helen B. and James Arthur Thompson and grew up in Tacoma, Washington, attending Junior High at Annie Wright and Clover Park High School. She started college at Colorado College then transferred to Whitman College, graduating in 1962 with a major in history. She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. At Whitman, she met John A. (Jack) Enbom, and on July 28, 1962 they were married. Kay then headed south to New Orleans, LA, where she taught middle school while Jack attended Tulane Medical School. Their first child, Christopher, was born in 1965. Continuing medical education took them to Los Angeles for Jack’s internship and later, for Jack’s residency in obstetrics and gynecology, to Portland, where their second son, John Eric, was born in 1968. Following two years in Fort Benning, Georgia, where Jack served in the Army, Kay and Jack finally settled in Corvallis, Oregon, a small college town on the Willamette River, among many wonderful friends. It was a perfect fit.
Kay returned to teaching in 1979-1987 as an instructor at Linn Benton Community College. She then worked as Development Director at the Children’s Farm Home, a residential educational and care facility for at-risk youth and later served on their Board of Directors, before serving as Work Program Coordinator for the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program helping youth find jobs to replay restitution to crime victims. Her final teaching position was as the Director and teacher at Crossroads International Program teaching conversational English to wives of foreign graduate students at Oregon State University.
In retirement, Kay enjoyed traveling, visiting Nepal, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Croatia with Jack. Finally, after over forty happy years in Corvallis, the Enboms moved to Carmel Valley Manor in August of 2014. There, they enjoyed the beauty of Monterey County and Big Sur, and participated in Manor Activities, including lawn bowling and bridge. Kay was chair of the active Library Committee.
Kay loved to read. She served on the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of the Corvallis-Benton County Library, where she volunteered for years. She loved playing tennis and golf with her friends in Corvallis, and was happily active in the Women’s Syndicate, a women’s investment group of 15, who learned, socialized, and traveled together, for over 35 years. Kay and Jack loved to travel, hike, camp, ski, and play bridge. Some of their best times were birding with friends in the US and abroad. They enjoyed supporting their two boys through school and sports and were happy watching their grandchildren grow and mature.
Kay is survived by her husband, Jack, sons Christopher and John, and four loving grandchildren, Ben, Eric, Anne, and Audrey, as well as her sister Joan Caillouette and brother Brewer B. Thompson. Kay was preceded in death by her sister Jane Russell.
We send a special thanks to Dr. Paul Tocchet, Medical Director, and to Chris Regan, RN, and all her wonderful and caring staff at Carmel Valley Manor Health Center as well and to Dr. Roger Shiffman and the staff at Pacific Cancer Care in Monterey.
Kay was very impressed with the mission of supporting at risk and underserved youth offered by Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy in Salinas, CA and asked that any donations be sent to Rancho Cielo in her name, Rancho Cielo Inc., PO Box 6948, Salinas CA 93912, or directly through their website at www.ranchocieloyc.org
A memorial service will be announced at a future date. To sign Kay’s guestbook and leave messages for her family, please visit www.thepaulmortuary.com.
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