Katherine "Kappy" Pattison

Katherine “Kappy” Pattison, 74, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 10, 2023. She was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on February 21, 1949 and was a Cheesehead through and through. The Packers, the Badgers, and the sports teams from Wisconsin were longtime interests of hers. Her father, Thomas Werner, owned a radio station and probably explained Kappy’s interest in entertainment and sportscasting. Her father later was a salesman in various locations (Iowa, Arkansas, back to Wisconsin); her mother was a teacher and explains Kappy’s choice of profession: teaching early education first in Racine, Wisconsin public schools; then as the religious education coordinator at St. Mary’s Visitation in Elm Grove, Wisconsin; and then for 23 years at St. Raphael School as the KinderKlasse teacher in Santa Barbara, California. She loved her students and enjoyed teaching them the basics of their Catholic faith. The parents noticed how wonderful Kappy was with their children and demonstrated their enthusiasm for her by volunteering and recommending the KinderKlasse program to other parents looking for this educational option. Students who are now young adults still remember her fondly – and especially the classroom festooned with ladybugs and Green Bay paraphernalia. She would share the funny stories about the children with parents, fellow teachers, and at home with Jim, her husband. Kappy was married in August 1974 to Patrick Martin and they had two boys, Michael (1976) and Andrew (1980). In October 1987, Pat died of colon cancer and Kappy raised the boys as a single parent until December 23, 1994 when she married Jim in Milwaukee. Kappy and Jim were married for nearly 29 years. For many friends and colleagues, the story of how the two boys acted as matchmakers in bringing them together constitutes a true love story of immense bounds. The family moved to Santa Barbara at the end of 1994 where they have lived since. Kappy retired in 2019 (mercifully before Covid hit the schools); Jim retired from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles after a 26 year career there on June 30, 2023. Jim currently works for RG175, a recruiting firm for independent schools across the country; he specializes in finding advancement professionals to help schools raise money. Kappy had involved herself with St. Vincent’s in Santa Barbara and was one of the initial volunteers at the Father Virgil Cordano Center in Santa Barbara for homeless people. She overcame some initial fears of working with the homeless and discovered the profound honor of serving those who are unhoused. She loved having conversations with the clients who came to the center; and she learned some valuable lessons that she passed along to others. One of those is the importance of greeting people by name. Many homeless never hear their name actually used for long stretches of time … and few of us think about the dehumanizing aspect of this until we are reminded in a conversation. Kappy had a wonderful smile, terrific sense of humor, very expressive eyes, and was a person of very definite opinions. She enjoyed being with people and people enjoyed being with her. Her particular point of pride and joy were her two sons’ families (Erin Bonell Martin, Mike’s wife and Liam (17), Rory (14), Tristan (11); Eileen Byrwa Martin, Andy’s wife and Dylan (11) and Jake (8). She loved the time together, and had a fabulous time with all of them just last summer in Italy (two weeks) and in London (for the Green Bay Packer game). Visitation for Kappy will be at the Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral home on Ward Drive in Goleta on Monday, November 20, 6-9 p.m. with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. A requiem Mass will be said at Old Mission Santa Barbara on Tuesday, November 21, at 11:00 a.m. in the main church. The Mass will be livestreamed and a link will be provided to those who wish to “attend” remotely; and the livestream will be available on YouTube for later viewing if desired. A reception will follow in the Friar’s Lounge at 12:30 p.m. Flowers are appreciated and GoletaFloral.com is a local vendor that can handle orders. Donations can be made in Kappy’s memory to St. Barbara Parish (be sure to access the “Donate Now” button on the PARISH portion of the website) or by accessing the following: giving.parishsoft.org for St. Barbara Parish in Santa Barbara, California.

Katherine "Kappy" Pattison

February 21, 1949 - November 10, 2023