July 29, 1949 - August 13, 2022
It is with immense sadness that we announce Kathleens sudden passing on August 13, 2022.
She is survived, loved and missed by her husband Jeff, her sons John (Chantelle) and Jason (Natasha) as well as brothers Douglas and David (Barb) and sister Barbara.
Kathleen was born July 29, 1949 in Victoria, to John and Kay Tribe.
At a young age, Kathleen became interested in horses and would spend many hours riding, either her own horse or a borrowed one. As a teenager, she worked on a farm on the weekends. She did everything from mucking out stalls and milking cows to seasonal haying. Her work at the farm on weekends and summers made her extremely fit and strong. So much so that her two brothers knew better than to mess with her. She also belonged to the 4H club and raised a calf that won 1st prize in its category at the PNE.
Even as a teenager, she had a wide circle of friends and this was where she met Jeff. They were married on October 5, 1968. First son John was born on June 28, 1969 and Jason came along on December 5, 1973. From the moment they were married, they worked long and hard to have a good life and raise their boys in a happy home.
Initially,as the kids were growing up, she was a stay-at-home Mom, something she took great pride in and was very good at. She absolutely loved her kids. When the kids were in school (John remembers he was in Grade 7), she got a job at an Art and Framing business. Her talents at this job were so obvious that soon she was the "go to girl." It wasn't long before she was running the show.
When our Mom moved up to Comox, Kathleen and Jeff followed, building their dream home and moving into it in 2006.
She was an extraordinary baker and cook. Everyone who came to the house got to sample some of her wares, from cookies to loaves to perogies to cabbage rolls. She pickled anything that could be pickled and made soups and applesauce, jams and jellies. But it was her cookies that were legendary.
She loved to garden and anyone who has seen her yard can attest to that. She was an avid reader and her shelves of books left Jeff shaking his head. She always encouraged people to come and borrow books from her library. She was an incredible knitter and ,when she wasn't knitting something for a friends new grandchild, she was knitting for the Hospital gift shop. Her baby sweaters never stayed long in the store.
She always liked fishing and the occasional, adventurous game of golf. Her swings at the golf ball were the stuff of legends, but when she connected, she could out hit anyone.
She liked to hike, eating up many kilometres throughout the Comox Valley with her hiking group, the Sole Mates.
She excelled at so many things but beyond that, she was simply an extraordinary and lovely person. She was caring and kind and generous. She had a undeniable sense of humour and could give as good as she got. She was a devoted Mom who loved her kids and , while she and Jeff could natter at each other with the best of them, they enjoyed a long (53 years) and happy marriage. She was definitely a homebody and the kettle or the coffee pot was always on ,with the cookies close at hand.
Her sudden passing has left a huge hole in our hearts which will never fully heal. Jeff has lost the love of his life, his companion, his best friend. John and Jason have lost their Mom.
The rest of the family have lost their amazing and awesome sister, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. All her friends feel the loss of the special person that she was and she will continue to be in their hearts. She really did have an amazing collection of friends but there were two with whom she felt a particular closeness ; Marlene and Donna.
Whether you knew her as Kathleen, Kathy, Kath, or in her younger days,Snowball, you also knew there was nothing better than to have had her in your life. We will always miss her.
There will be a celebration of her life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to MARS or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.