Katherine Skelton

Katherine was born in Sacramento, California, and grew up in Fort Bragg, a small logging town on the northern California coast. After graduating from high school she enrolled in the teaching program at San Jose State College.

After graduating she taught in Sunnyvale and Riverside schools in California. While in Riverside, she met the man who became her husband, John Skelton, who worked for the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. They moved to Colorado so he could pursue an advanced degree or two. When the youngest of their children entered kindergarten, she returned to teaching as a substitute. She recalled that teaching in the Denver public schools during a time when they were being integrated was a very interesting experience, but that it was not always an easy place for a substitute.

In 1974 the family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, which was another new experience for a Californian. They spent eleven years in Duluth and found it a wonderful place to raise a family, make life long friends, and contribute to the community. But the cold climate made them yearn for the West Coast, so they trekked to Corvallis, Oregon. While in Duluth, Katherine was active in the schools, church, and American Field Service (AFS). She was district director for AFS and hosted two students. She first joined the American Association of University Women in Duluth. She served on the Board of Campus Ministry. In Duluth she worked in the schools as a library aide, and for the public library as volunteer coordinator. Also wedged into those years were stints as a volunteer running gift shops for the Duluth Seafarers Center and for Hmong refugees.

When they moved to Corvallis, she worked for 10 years as a licensed tax preparer, first as an employee and for the last four with her own business. While in Corvallis, she served on the Outreach Committee at Church of the Good Samaritan and on the board of Samaritan Village. She taught for many years at Crossroads Conversation School teaching English to the spouses of foreign students and served on the board of Crossroads International.

After her husband passed away in 1996 she moved to Portland, where she bought a townhouse on her own. She continued to travel with friends and was happy to spend time with her children and grandchildren in Portland. She served on the newcomer's committee at St Michael and All Angels in Portland.

Her lifelong passion was reading. She first joined a book club when she lived in Denver–way before book clubs became fashionable, or trendy–and continued attending book clubs in every city she lived in after that. She attended Portland Arts and Lectures to hear authors speak about their works. She also enjoyed birding, hiking and traveling.

In each of the many places that she lived she was able to build a community of friends around her. Her friends and family remember her exceptional kindness.

Among those left to cherish her memory are her sister, Barbara Bergman of St George, Utah, children Laura (Thomas) Harmon of Minneapolis, Jeanette (Edward) Feldhousen of Portland, and Jeffrey of Portland, and grandchildren Nate Harmon of Tacoma and Alec and Samuel Skelton of Portland.

Funeral services will be held at the St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church (1704 NE 43rd Avenue, Portland, OR) on April 17 at 11 AM. Please join the family after the service for refreshments and stories.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you honor her memory by donating to Friends of Multnomah County Library (https://www.friends-library.org/donate) or your local library foundation, or to Oregon Public Broadcasting (https://www.opb.org/give) or your local National Public Radio affiliate.