April 08, 1920 - June 18, 2013

A Legacy That Will Live On.

Positive, kind, BIG heart, great friend, strong, encouraging, generous, amazing and cherished mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, all describe our beloved Katie.

Catherine VanCourt McPherson 93, passed away June 18. Born in Seattle April 8, 1920 to Hazel Sperry and Genevieve Wilcox, she was raised in Yakima where she was a graduate of Yakima High in 1938. Catherine graduated from Central Washington State College and was an elementary teacher for many years in Seattle Public Schools. She began at Interlake, followed by Greenlake, Wallingford, Maple Leaf, and Wedgewood Elementary School where she retired in 1982. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Honorary Society and enjoyed her many life long years of friendships with its members. Being the grand school teacher and story teller that she was, we have fond memories of her reading to us and instilling the importance of books and a love of reading that we carry with us to this day.

Catherine was very involved with Seattle Milk Funds Norene Boyd Circle making sure that children had their basic needs met.

Many summers were spent camping with the family, cramming all our gear into a 1955 VW Bug. It wasn’t her favorite idea of a vacation, but she was a good sport and never complained. Following that we enjoyed many years at the cabin our family built on Hartstine Island in southern Puget Sound.

In 1964 Mom decided our family should take a grand tour of the USA. So, we took a road trip across the states visiting family, friends, and sightseeing important historical sites. Her “teacher finger” always reminded us to look at this or that along the way.

Summertime, Mom loved family picnics in Grandma’s backyard under the birch tree in Yakima with potato salad, fried chicken, watermelon and her special mix of ice tea with lemonade. That carried on later with picnics with her grandchildren and ferry rides in Puget Sound. When she retired, Mom and Dad enjoyed traveling around the world which was spurred on by going to Cavalcade and dreaming about future places to visit: Russia, China, Iceland, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Fiji, Poland, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, the Panama Canal, and England. That carried on when she and Bert traveled the Norwegian Fjords in a postal boat, followed by a trip to Scotland and England. Of course the only thing better than traveling were the pre-travel shopping trips so she would have just the right outfit for every occasion!

Catherine was married to her childhood sweetheart whom she met in the 7th grade, Jefferson VanCourt in 1945 until his death in 1993. A year later she married her good friend, Robert McPherson who passed away in 2000. Catherine is survived by her loving children, Carol(Hal)Cooper, Vicki(Ken)Ward, Paul(Mary) VanCourt, and her two step-daughters, Pam(Jim)Haslett, and Penny(Chris)Leady, 5 grandchildren, Courtney, Eric, Jeff, Lila, Gregory, and 6 great grandchildren, Gemma, Miriam, Gianna, Zelie, Celia, and Aiden.

FUNERAL INFORMATION

Memorial service to be held Monday, July 8, 1:00pm at University Presbyterian Church at 4540-15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

DONATIONS

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Seattle Milk Fund