Kathleen May Hoydal Walker, 92, is back with her husband Dale Walker after she died peacefully in her home surrounded by a loving family.
Kathleen was born on December 17, 1928 in Seattle, Washington, to the Norwegian immigrants Nels Hoydal and Ragna Hoydal. Kathleen was the eldest of two daughters. She now joins her dear sister Astrid Hoydal Odegard. Kathleen was a native of Washington and spent her first 26 years in Ballard, Norway. Kathleen had a deep love for the arts and played the violin in the orchestra during middle and high school. Kathleen graduated from Ballard High in 1946 and completed a two-year college business degree upon graduation. Kathleen then worked for the Boeing Airplane Company with a “top secret” release in contract administration. Kathleen attended Norwegian festivals and big band dances at Norse Hall and the Swedish Club in Seattle, and it was at one of them that Kathleen met her future husband and the love of her life, Dale, while studying at the University of Washington. Kathleen and Dale were married in 1952 at Ballard First Lutheran Church in Seattle.
Kathleen and Dale moved to Vancouver, Washington so Dale could attend a dental school at the University of Oregon. For the first few years of their marriage, during the summer vacation while Dale was in dentist school, they traveled to Sutherlin, Oregon, where Dale settled in the woods. Found a unique experience of chopping wood for a Seattle city girl and the daughter of a Norwegian fisherman, Kathleen learned to count wooden feet over pounds of halibut.
Kathleen and Dale bought land and built a beautiful family home in Battle Ground, Washington, where they raised their three daughters, Rondi, Trudi, and Heidi. Kathleen was a devoted and loving mother to her children, teaching the values of hard work and the importance of education. Kathleen loved reading, skiing, water skiing, hiking, tole painting, flower arrangements, and gardening. Her real passion was music and she was the season ticket holder of the Portland Opera for 38 years. Kathleen loved to travel and for many years flew with her husband on planes to Alaska, Mexico and Canada. Kathleen was fortunate enough to travel to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy, Jamaica, Hawaii, and South America many times with family and close friends. Kathleen was also a member of the Sons of Norway-Columbia Lodge in Vancouver, Washington.
Kathleen was very happy about her four grandchildren, Alek Barkats, Nikolai Barkats, Kathleen Barkats and Giovanni Scarpelli. She loved being a bestemor (Norwegian for grandmother) and spoiled loved ones. Kathleen leaves behind her three loving daughters Rondi Walker from Washington DC, Trudi Walker from Vancouver, Washington and Heidi Walker Scarpelli from Vancouver, Washington. Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband Dale and younger sister Astrid.
Your memory will be honored with a funeral service on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Brush Prairie Cemetery on the east side of NE 117th AVE and south of 119th St.