In spite of heroic efforts by medical teams in Hoquiam, Aberdeen and Tacoma, our beloved Katy Blake, 74, passed away on April 9, 2019, of natural causes. Born Kathleen Ellin Blake on Nov. 8, 1944, in Seattle, she was the daughter of James H. Blake, Sr. and Molly (Illa May) Gilliland. Katy moved to Grays Harbor in the 1980s, settling in Copalis Beach and Hoquiam.

She wrote the following as part of her first writing assignment for The North Coast News in 1992: “After a lifetime as a gypsy, always moving, always being the new kid on the block, I settled here at the beach. I love living here and because I’ve lived so many other places, I realize what we have here and how valuable it is to all of us.” She was an avid gardener and talented decorator, beautifying every home she lived in. In recent years Katy enjoyed volunteering at the Hoquiam Timberland Library, one of her very favorite places. She loved books and often spoke about the wonderful Grays Harbor library system.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Angie Walther of Mint Hill, North Carolina; son Greg Walther, also of Mint Hill; sister Teresa White of Spokane; brother James H. Blake, Jr. of Hoquiam; sister Regan Harrington of San Francisco; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family will hold a private memorial at a date and location to be determined.