Kathren Lois Williams

Kathy Williams was born on June 7, 1939 in Alturas, California to R.J. Ritchey and Kathleen Roberts. She died at 77 years of age on May 16, 2017 after a short battle with cancer, with her family by her side. Our Mom and sister attended school in Ft Bidwell and Cedarville, California and Medford, Oregon. In 1958, in Reno, Nevada, Mom married our Dad, Wally Williams, and from that union Tami was born in 1959 and Gina in 1961. In 1963, Mom and Dad moved to John Day, Oregon where Mom started working for Dr. Bennett. In 1967, Mom and Dad purchased Driskill Memorial Chapel after the death of Carl Driskill . Shortly after the purchase of the funeral home, Mom started working with Dad. That was the beginning of Moms life-long passion of helping people, eventually leading to her becoming a licensed Funeral Director. For many years she, and seven other life-long friends, calling themselves "The Bridge Club", made annual trips to Reno, in Jean Sprouls motor home, for gambling and shopping. In 1980, she moved to Bend, Oregon where she started working for Paul Reynolds at Niswonger Reynolds Funeral Home. In 1986 Mom moved to Redmond Oregon to manage Redmond Memorial Chapel. Mom was very active in the Redmond community for many years. She was passionate about her involvement with the Hospice of Redmond for 30 years and she was on the board of Directors for 21 years. Mom looked forward to the Hospice Festival of Trees where she directed tree traffic, telling every one where to set up their trees. She took great pride in bidding up the price of the trees into the thousands of dollars, all for the benefit of Hospice of Redmond. Mom enjoyed working at Lords Acre day sale at Powell Butte, selling pies. Mom was active in the Community Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder. Mom was on the Redmond City Council from 1998 and 1999, and on the Budget Committee for the City from 1999 to present. Under Moms leadership, the columbarium at Redmond Memorial Cemetery went from a dream to a reality. Mom loved to play bridge, especially with the "boys", and going on trips and cruises with the Oregon Funeral Directors Association. She enjoyed many travels with her friend Ardyce Swift. Her great passion was doing cross stitch, and she always said she couldnt live long enough to complete all the patterns she had collected. Mom was preceded in death by her parents and step mother Iris. Kathy is survived by her daughters Tami (Keith) and Gina (Fred), granddaughter Ashley and great grandson Jayden, brothers Kenneth (Joan), Karol, Robert (Sandra) and sister Susan (Mike). The family would like to thank the nurses and doctors at St Charles Hospital Cancer Center for their care and Paul Reynolds for guidance and support. Kathy will be missed by all of her many, many friends with whom she shared her life. A memorial service will be held at the Community Presbyterian Church in Redmond, on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 11:00. Donations in her memory may be sent to Hospice of Redmond for the Transitions Program, the Community Presbyterian Church and St Thomas Catholic Church.

Kathren Lois Williams

June 7, 1939 - May 16, 2017