Katherine Helvey Donaldson

Katherine Lynn Helvey Donaldson passed away peacefully in her home on May 26, 2010. She was surrounded by people who adored her and whom she loved. Born in Oxnard, California to Roger Helvey and Lois Helvey on Jan 30, 1970, she was 40 years old. She was a 1987 graduate of Saint Bonaventure High School in Ventura CA and graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1992. Kathy lived a life of tremendous variety. She enjoyed world travel, yet she loved the small town feel of Corvallis, where she had lived since 1993. She had challenging technical jobs in engineering - from rocket scientist to lithography engineer to database designer - yet she walked away from that career to do something she considered more rewarding: being a mother to her 2 children, Cassidy (11) and Jack (7). She was an accomplished musician, playing the oboe, flute, piano, banjo, tin whistle, and even gave a glorious accordion performance one night after only playing the instrument for 2 weeks. She was a camper and then a counselor at Arrowbear music camp in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. She was active in the community, working on programs for seniors, school fundraising, and helping to organize a series of charity concerts to raise money for Kids for Kids, a UK based charity working in Darfur. Kathy was the Kids for Kids US representative until she became ill in 2008. Kathy will be remembered by those who knew her as caring and wise. Her voice was not usually the first or the loudest, but was often the last one to speak on a topic… usually followed by mutterings of “Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” Her friends and family will miss her sage council, her good ear, and her generous, gentle smile. Her husband, Jeremy, will miss his best friend, the best wife, and best mother for their children that anyone could ask for. They would have been married 15 years on June 24, 2010. The family will be holding a celebration of Kathy’s remarkable life on June 19, 2010, at 1pm at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, located at 114 SW 8th Street. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either Benton Hospice Services (www.bentonhospice.org) or Kids for Kids (contact Beth at uskidsforkids@gmail.com), or the new memorial scholarship set up in her name at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura (contact Mark at mgroff@saintbonaventure.com.)

Tributes

Katherine Helvey Donaldson

January 30, 1970 - May 26, 2010