Kathleen Jo Thomas

1946 - 2018

Born May 26, 1946 to Norman and Helen Gallaway in Port Angeles.

Proceeded in death by her brother Dennis and her parents.

Kathy fought a long battle with Alzheimer's. She passed on February 20, 2018 at Family First Care in Gig Harbor, Washington with her family at her side.

Kathy played catcher for the Blue Angels baseball team while she was in junior high school. She met her soul-mate and husband, Roger, in the spring of 1960 when she ran through his horse pasture fence while she was playing baseball with the neighbor hood boys and Roger had to come and fix it. The two became engage at Kathy's junior prom in 1963. Kathy graduated from Port Angeles High School in June, 1964 and married Roger Thomas the 5th of July a month later.

While Kathy was in high school she worked for ATT as a telephone operator. In the summer of 1964 she went to training and then worked in the ATT business office then on Front Street. February 1967, Roger went active duty in the Navy reserve. Kathy quit her job and went first to Norfolk, Virginia and then to Taipei, Taiwan with Roger where they stayed for 18 months.

They returned home to Port Angeles the end of October, 1968.

Kathy brought with her their soon to be, "made in Taiwan" daughter Kim. Kim came into their world April 27, 1969. That year is when Roger and Kathy bought the F/V "Banshee II". In September Kathy brought Kim to Coos Bay Oregon where they got aboard the boat and left to fish albacore tuna off the southern California coast. A year later, the 9th of October, 1970, their second daughter Jennifer came along. September of 1971 Kathy packed up both girls and again back on the boat to fish tuna off the California and Baja California coast.

In the spring of 1977 there was a boat change and F/V "Kathleen Jo" came into the family. In June, Kathy loaded up the girls and flew to Sitka, Alaska to join roger and start what would be a life long adventure fishing the Alaska coast. Kathy's main goal in life was to take care of Roger and her kids. She never complained even when she had good reason.

On November 19, 1979 their son Jeff came along. June, 1980 and Kathy this time loaded up two girls and their baby brother and again flew to Sitka to join Roger on the boat for that summer an many more. Kathy pioneered fishing with kids on the boat. Kathy, being Roger's best friend, fishing partner and soul-mate made fishing not only a business but an adventure that none of us will forget.

Kathy's winters were as busy as her summers. She belonged to Holiday House craft group. They made quality holiday crafts and had a annual invitation only sale. She also made the cookies for Angeles furniture's preferred customer sale. She did that until 1999 when Kathy and Roger started going to Arizona and Mexico in their RV for the winters. Jennifer took over that job for her mom. Kathy really enjoyed her time in Arizona and Mexico, beach combing and riding the quad to the high desert to look for petrified wood. Most of all she like making new friends.

Roger and Kathy retired from the fishing business in 2005. They bought a small house in Joplin, Montana to hunt from. Wasn't long and the neighbor kids were calling her grama Kathy. That's when Tikka came into the family. Tikka is a yellow lab dog that quickly became Kathy's dog. We are now spending our summers at Silver King, Kathy's favorite place in the world. Her and Tikka walked the beach at least twice a day picking up beach glass and treasures. She always had ice cream for the kids and gave away fuzzy sandals that she made to anyone that wanted them.

Kathy is survived by her husband Roger, daughter and son in law Kim and Ricky Holcomb, daughter and son in law Jennifer and Anthony Charles, son and daughter in law Jeff and Lindy Thomas. Grand children, Peyton and Keyton Holcomb, Brody and Paisley Charles, and Jeytlin and Teyen Thomas. Also Jennifer and Anthony's three new boys, Sonny, Tony and Woody.

There will be a celebration of Kathy's life on Saturday, March 24 at the Eagles in Port Angeles from 1 to 5pm.

Donations can be made to Alzheimer's Disease Research at BrightFocus.org/cureAD" target="_blank">BrightFocus.org/cureAD.