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Memorial Created By
Jim Hauser

Kate Hunter

May 25, 1940 - July 18, 2020

We created a GatheringUs memorial to celebrate the life of Kate Hunter. Collecting your stories and memories here will offer us great comfort. Please add your memories here. In this age of COVID I am suggesting you read Kate's Life Story and view the slide show of her life I've put up on this site. Then I...  see more

OBITUARY
              Kate Hunter was born 25 May 1940 in Berkeley, California to Henry David Aiken and Jean Scott Aiken.  She died July 18, 2020 after 10 years living with cancer.             With Kate still an infant the family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Henry enjoyed a long career as a professor of philosophy at Harvard.  His successes did not, however, include marriage and the divorce brought Jean, Kate and baby sister Perry...  see more
2,568 Visits

Posts & Photos

  • Sue Ann Allen
    Oh, my! I’ve been out of touch and just found this information on Kate’s death. I have a little piece to add to her life story that I don’t see mentioned in her obituary. She was the ringleader in a small group of mediators who revived the...  more
  • birdlynn
    What a beautiful woman and family. A blessing to watch her last hour with her family and friends...I am in awe of her, and her graceful courage to the end in the company of her true loved ones and friends. Truly a good and gifted life she had and a...  more
  • Tacoma Friends Meeting
    Jim, this is for you – I never got to know Kate and I’ve only met you a few times. But, I can tell from her goodbye video that she was much loved and I imagine you consider yourself a lucky man. You have loved and been loved by a special woman. May...  more
  • Michelle M
    The biggest thing I want to convey in this letter is how much Kate lives on in me, and my boundless gratitude for her!

    I feel so lucky to have had someone in my life who played the role of “oh, I want to be like her!” And that feeling grew and grew,...  more
  • Perry Reeve
    It’s been three months and Chris continues to feed and entertain us!
    Jim is busy building a unique deck and welcoming visitors!!!
    • Perry Reeve
      Michelle M Beautiful! It looks like such a nice day to be outside. The deck looks lovely, Jim!
      • October 23, 2020
  • Nancy Eister
    Kate became a friend through Free Range Folk Choir. She had a lovely voice, loved to sing with others, and showed such joy in participating. Kate was all about community. She constantly made new friends and invited people into her life. She was a woman...  more
  • Ana Rockwell
    My favorite memory of Kate is the many years we had a partnership with the sailboat Sea Change. Neil and I had many fun summers on the boat and we shared a love of sailing the Salish Sea just like Jim and Kate. I especially enjoyed the dinners we shared...  more
  • C Hunter Davis
    Seeing these wonderful photos of Kate makes me see her lovely smile across the room in the alto section of Free Range Choir- she seemed to be smiling right through me and
    filling me with joy, and yet everyone else in my section thought she was smiling at...  more
  • Carol Spangler
    I knew such a small piece of Kate's amazing life story. A tribute to a life well-lived. She teaches us how to live fully and die happily and at peace. So enjoyed "meeting" her dear family and friends. She leaves the world with seeds...  more
  • Perry Reeve
    Six of us made it up to Pinnacle Peak saddle to enjoy blue skies and a picnic farewell to Kate, while welcoming her to our parents resting place! The 1&1/2 mile upward trek was a challenge and brought back many family outings and the time she pointed...  more
  • Tisha Frank
    Dear Jim - I just wanted to reinforce for you how far and wide Kate's impact reached. More than 40 years ago, Kate and Sharron and Judy and Martha and I were 5 of the very few women members of United Way's Executive Directors Coalition. With Kate's...  more
  • Alix Clarke
    Dear Jim,
    What a beautiful way to say good-bye. In our culture we don't often show people in transition and/or how closure can be done. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for recording the final Zoom that Kate had. To hear her speak to family...  more
  • Frank Jackson
  • Perry Reeve
    Miss my sis! She was a feisty one teaching me so many songs. She loved to celebrate friends, families and causes, down to her last farewell on zoom where she laughed, teased and queried in peaceful repose bidding to see us later! I savor the Solomon seal...  more
    • birdlynn reacted on this.
    • Perry Reeve
      birdlynn These are lovely, Perry. I am glad our granddaughter, Adeilyn Kate, has her name, her middle name KATE after her great Aunt. I am grateful to witness this zoom meeting with your family and friends. Your sister was and still is a very inspiring...  more
      • July 14, 2021
  • Susie Kalhorn
    Thank you for sharing the video and all the photos, Jim. And thank you for being "teacherly" because I did get a tad lost in the ether. I am humbled by Kate's courage and graciousness as she faced death. It was a gift to see so many loved ones...  more
  • Lynne Walters
    Love ♥️🙏❤️
  • Lynne Walters
    Being on Kate's care committee was a powerful experience for me. Her strength, humor, optimistic attitude and honesty were inspirational. And seeing her goodbye video and seeing her experiencing peace touched my heart. And knowing how you loved and cared...  more
  • GatheringUs Support Team
    "Kate's Good-Bye"
    - From Jim Hauser
    • Perry Reeve and birdlynn reacted on this.
    • GatheringUs Support Team
      Perry Reeve Thank you Jim and Phil for putting this farewell together for Kate. It was wonderful to see many of our family and friends tuning in! Sorry to miss connecting with a number of you in the hour notice before it happened. I was so shocked I wasted time...  more
      • October 3, 2020
    • GatheringUs Support Team
      birdlynn I think she taught us all how to say goodbye....fully present and courageously, and peacefully. I love her humor.
      • July 14, 2021
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    Parents
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Kate ws born into a brainy family. Her Mother, Jean Scott Aiken, graduated from Reed College and her Father, was a tenured professor of philosophy at Harvard. Kate's younger sister - resting on Dad's arm - was named after Ralph Barton Perry, another...  more
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    Sisters
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Kate and Perry grew up loving the outdoors
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser A summer beach at Lake Ozette on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Alice, Perry and Kate!
      • October 2, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Kate growing tall. She was long shot champion of her school women's basketball group.
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve I had no idea!!!
      • September 26, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Ken Wolfe Perry, you are lucky you didn't play Kate in "horse".
      • September 27, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser In high school Kate was elected "Queen of the May," a title she seldom claimed later in life with her feminist friends. (But Gloria Steinem had been a cheerleader.)
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Gary Cunningham was King
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser High school sweethearts, Kate married Pat Hunter in their first year at the University of Washington.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Pat drove Kate on this Vespa to the hospital to have their child Chris. Kate remembers him shouting, "This woman is having a baby!!!" as he zipped through Seattle traffic.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Christopher Michael Hunter spent his early years playing around the UW campus.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Much later in life, Kate treated herself to a brand new Vespa in memory of those earlier days.
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Great photo!
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser After divorce from Pat, Kate got her teaching degree from the UW. Here is one of her classes at the Evergreen School for Gifted Children.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser She absolutely and forever loved kids. "They make my eyes dilate, she said.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Barb Adams reacted on this.
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser With Ana, the new baby of Kate's goddaughter Sarah.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser With a grand niece in Alaska hiding a present she brought her from Seattle.
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Adeilyn Kate Reeve, (Her namesake!)
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Here holding her first grandchild Nico.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Kate's sister Joan with her daughters Kenna and Cammy sandwiching Nico.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Feeding Felix, a new grand nephew.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Presenting a quilt Kate had made for Veronica, a grand niece. The letters of Veronica's name show in various squares of the quilt. (Ever the teacher!).
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Wonderful, wonderful!
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser And a quilt, too, for grand nephew Felix.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Having a better time than her nephew Kellen at the Seattle Center fountain.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Barb Adams reacted on this.
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser In the early 1970's Kate left teaching and began a career as an organizer. She founded "Save our Sisters" to house women fleeing domestic abuse. She helped found Group Health's Women's Caucus. As director of the UW YWCA, she nurtured and help spin off...  more
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Impressive!! Inspired or was inspired by her mom who drove women to Portland for abortions!
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Barb Adams reacted on this.
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser In January of 1973 she met Jim Hauser. They partnered (and later married) and then lived happily ever after.
      • September 17, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve You and Chris were the best thing that ever happened to her!!! Merci, Merci, Merci!
      • September 26, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Lynne Walters You two are gorgeous here and always, you kind, wise, loving couple. Losing Kate is a great loss.
      • September 27, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Sue Ann Allen This is the enduring image I hold of Kate. What an amazing woman!
      • July 7, 2023
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser After leaving the YWCA Kate, who loved gardening and was tired of working for a board, bought a pick up, printed business cards, and began a landscape/gardening business.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser She and Jim bought a dilapidated house in the Leschi neighborhood. Seventeen years later and with the help of many friends, it looked pretty good.
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Wonderful place, friends and dog Bigger!!!
      • September 26, 2020
    • Jim Hauser
      Sue Ann Allen I remember the handcrafted door by a local artist. Right? Early meetings for the Mediation Consortium of Washington State were held here AND organizing meetings to form a community-based board for a dispute resolution center in Seattle, an outgrowth of a...  more
      • July 7, 2023
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Barb Adams reacted on this.
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser With her new masters degree she accepted the directorship of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, a program which brought together juvenile offenders with their victims with the aim of agreeing on a restitution agreement which a judge could then...  more
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser In 1989 Kate and Jim left Seattle for another fixer-upper home, this time on Vashon Island.
    • Jim Hauser
      Perry Reeve Home Sweet Home!!!
      • September 26, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Kate did landscaping and Jim painted and built decks, etc.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Of course it blossomed.
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser On Vashon Kate continued her activism. She co-founded Vashon Islanders for Peace to oppose the U.S. invasion of Iraq. She worked for one year as a career counselor at Vashon High School. She volunteered for VashonHouseHold, a low income housing...  more
      • September 17, 2020
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
  • Jim Hauser
    Jim Hauser added 1 photo(s) to the memorial Kate Hunter:
    • Jim Hauser
      Jim Hauser Besides activism, Kate found time to travel. A self guided boat trip along the French canals. The trip included 26 locks as they crossed the Brittany Peninsula.
      • September 17, 2020