Kay Irene Petersen

Katie Petersen was born in Merced CA on February 21, 1935, to James and Marjorie Thorpe. She graduated from Fresno high school in 1953 and then attended Pasadena City College in Pasadena CA receiving her AA degree in 1955. She came very close to becoming a Rose Princess for the Pasadena Rose parade that year. Katie met her husband to be, Ron Petersen, who was an engineering student at PCC, and they married that summer and moved to Las Vegas, NV, where Ron had obtained his first engineering job. Two years later, with their first daughter Karen, they moved to Sunnyvale, CA where Ron would begin his aerospace engineering career which would last for 37 years. Katie and Ron finished their educations at San Jose State, and Santa Clara University while adding two more daughters to their family, Sandra in 1959 and Debra in 1964. (All three girls also completed their educations at San Jose State University). Katie was an outdoor girl all her life, and pursued golf, sailing, swimming, bowling, softball and supported all three girls in Jobs Daughters, Camp Fire Girls, and at High school events. She loved to travel, and the family loved camping, sailing and the ocean at Santa Cruz where the family spent a great deal of time since Katie’s father (an artist & pianist) lived near the beach. Katie also a creative spirit and enjoyed watercolor painting, sewing (making children’s clothes when they were younger and Christmas presents for all the cousins). She played the piano and violin early in her life.

After the girls went to college, Katie and Ron began taking 5-year Aerospace Management assignments across the US. Katie especially loved South Carolina, Florida, and Southern California, where she could be near the ocean. Katie became adept at starting new homes, making new friends and entertaining government customers. She loved to sing and to dance and the Irish came out when she was in the party mode, which was most of the time! Katie and Ron traveled extensively on their yearly vacations in Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and to most of the States. After retirement Katie and Ron began a Management Consulting Company and worked out of Tucson, Arizona, first with the University of Arizona and then with various firms throughout the southwest. Katie wrote her first Cookbook while in Tucson and loved southwestern food. Their final retirement in 2001 was back to Las Vegas where they built their forever home, began to travel more and take cruises, and began their new love with Corvettes. Katie’s only request about the Vegas move was that she had to go to the ocean, a lot! A time-share in Oceanside and Ft. Lauderdale solved that problem!

Katie is survived by her husband Ron Petersen, daughters Sandra Stillwell (Greg) and Debra Ward (Cary), grandchildren, Alex Dunton (Karla), Karalynn Dunton, Brandon Stillwell (Katie), Zachary Stillwell, and Great-granddaughter Sadie Stillwell. Great grandchildren by marriage include Kayli Graham, and great grandchildren Gracie, Deandre and Marli-Jane. She loved them all.

Katie was an only child but developed friends everywhere she has gone and considered them her brothers and sisters. An amazing wife, mother and friend to everyone… she was a true Princess after all!

Please see Katie's memorial video on YouTube by using this link: https://youtu.be/UiXgLWcv34w