Kathy was a mother of three children – Michael, Gary and Jennie. She and I met at Eric Ericsson’s on the Ventura Pier when I was playing Contrabass for “The Ashford Gordon Band”. She and her friend Vicki had found an advertisement in the VC Reporter for our 3/16/1997 show on the pier. Ashford knew that Kathy and I might hit it off, so he asked me if I could put a “date” with Kathy in my Palm Pilot to which I responded, “Yes”. That was our never ending first date, where we fell in love, and our love continued throughout all our days together.

Kathy and I went out to Sushi in Ventura for our first date and ended up at the Mandalay Bay Hotel watching a show and staying the night together. We fell in love that night and on April 12, 1997 I proposed to her on Leo Carillo State beach.

We spent the next year planning our wedding. Inside my wedding ring Kathy inscribed “My True Companion”. Kathy and I had a wonderful 2-week honeymoon at Sandals Negril in Jamaica walking on white sand beaches, going to incredible waterfalls and playing with the crocodiles. I asked her if she wanted to swim with the crocodiles and she retorted why didn’t I swim with them since I was the one with the “life policy insurance”.

Kathy was very smart and she was usually right about things – I learned a lot. Her grip with her hands was incredibly strong even to the end of her life. She was very kind, but would not compromise her standards – she was a Libra and her scales always had to balance – and was not afraid to say what needed to be said. Kathy enjoyed cooking, especially enchiladas with her famous “Spanish Rice”.

Kathy loved her animals – during her life we had two cats – Keoni & Wishbone and 5 dogs – Nico (Maltese) & 4 Cavaliers – Bailey, Bella, Devlin and Jazz. Bailey we took after her best friend Vicki passed away.

A person is very lucky if they meet someone like Kathy and get to spend their life with them. Though she is with the angels standing she is waiting for me her true companion who will rejoin her one day.