Obituary for Katherine Dawne Pederson
Katherine Dawne Pederson
Katherine Dawne Pederson’s light began to shine on this earth on May 7, 1960 in Calgary. Her light gently dimmed into darkness on January 17, 2021 after a diagnosis of bile duct cancer just six weeks earlier.
Her light is forever gone, but her soul will live on in the lives she has enriched immeasurably: devoted husband, Ted Gilson; stepchildren, Maggie May (Terry Lytle), Rachel (Paige Flohr), Cory (Stephanie) and Thomasina Gilson; mother, Jein Waldin; father, Harvey (who dearly misses his “Katrina”) and Leanne (Mom #2) Pederson; siblings, Susan (Eric Dugas) and David Pederson (Apryl Dawn); half-sisters, Monique and Michelle de St Croix and best friend, Karen Ritchie. Also touched forever by Katherine’s light are nieces, Sophie and Ellie Dugas, who will greatly miss their monopoly games with their “favourite aunt” (even if she NEVER let them be banker) Octovia, Aviana and nephew, Cruz. Katherine was predeceased by brother, Wade, most beloved friend, Barrie Mori, and numerous kitties, Katherine’s “fur babies” who were blessed to have her as their keeper.
In fact, Katherine made it her mission to care for the earth and all its creatures, and she devoted much of her life to nurturing plants and other and creatures great or small. She often described tentative or faltering plants and small animals as being “brave,” when it was she who was the bravest of them all, weathering storms that would flatten most people, and rising up by hitching herself to an opportunity to give to others. After the loss of her second close friend to suicide many years ago, she began to volunteer with suicide prevention, helping survivors cope with their complicated grief; her love of numbers and order led her to volunteer to do income tax for new Canadians, and after the loss of Barrie, it was her rescue work with Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) that eased her grief and gave her and Ted a profound and unwavering purpose. Many were regaled with dramatic rescues of baby ducks on Deerfoot Trail, skunks who left footprints on her heart (and in their yard), and even a baby moose who Kathie wrestled in the back seat of their truck! This past Christmas, she was still willing herself to complete animal adoptions on behalf of AWIC, between bouts of pain from her illness.
She was as devoted to her two-legged people as she was to her furry and feathered friends, and anyone who was the recipient of her friendship found a listening, non-judgemental ear for life. Many of those friendships began at her workplace, most recently as a postal clerk at Shoppers Drug Mart, a job she adored. But it was her many years in Calgary’s oil patch where Katherine made her mark, and flourished in the career she also loved, and which eventually put her into the path of her beloved husband, when they began working together at Amoco Canada and Olympic Seismic.
A Celebration of Katherine's Life will be held Saturday, August 21st, 2021 at 11:00am at the Banff Trail Community Association. You are kindly requested to wear pink in honour of Katherine and if you have them, please come in your Crocs.
The world will forever miss the sweet footsteps of Katherine’s crocs, as she tiptoed gently into our hearts, and never let us go. As Kathie would say: “OK buoyeee…see ya.”
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Katherine, please visit www.choicememorial.com.
Katherine Dawne Pederson’s light began to shine on this earth on May 7, 1960 in Calgary. Her light gently dimmed into darkness on January 17, 2021 after a diagnosis of bile duct cancer just six weeks earlier.
Her light is forever gone, but her soul will live on in the lives she has enriched immeasurably: devoted husband, Ted Gilson; stepchildren, Maggie May (Terry Lytle), Rachel (Paige Flohr), Cory (Stephanie) and Thomasina Gilson; mother, Jein Waldin; father, Harvey (who dearly misses his “Katrina”) and Leanne (Mom #2) Pederson; siblings, Susan (Eric Dugas) and David Pederson (Apryl Dawn); half-sisters, Monique and Michelle de St Croix and best friend, Karen Ritchie. Also touched forever by Katherine’s light are nieces, Sophie and Ellie Dugas, who will greatly miss their monopoly games with their “favourite aunt” (even if she NEVER let them be banker) Octovia, Aviana and nephew, Cruz. Katherine was predeceased by brother, Wade, most beloved friend, Barrie Mori, and numerous kitties, Katherine’s “fur babies” who were blessed to have her as their keeper.
In fact, Katherine made it her mission to care for the earth and all its creatures, and she devoted much of her life to nurturing plants and other and creatures great or small. She often described tentative or faltering plants and small animals as being “brave,” when it was she who was the bravest of them all, weathering storms that would flatten most people, and rising up by hitching herself to an opportunity to give to others. After the loss of her second close friend to suicide many years ago, she began to volunteer with suicide prevention, helping survivors cope with their complicated grief; her love of numbers and order led her to volunteer to do income tax for new Canadians, and after the loss of Barrie, it was her rescue work with Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) that eased her grief and gave her and Ted a profound and unwavering purpose. Many were regaled with dramatic rescues of baby ducks on Deerfoot Trail, skunks who left footprints on her heart (and in their yard), and even a baby moose who Kathie wrestled in the back seat of their truck! This past Christmas, she was still willing herself to complete animal adoptions on behalf of AWIC, between bouts of pain from her illness.
She was as devoted to her two-legged people as she was to her furry and feathered friends, and anyone who was the recipient of her friendship found a listening, non-judgemental ear for life. Many of those friendships began at her workplace, most recently as a postal clerk at Shoppers Drug Mart, a job she adored. But it was her many years in Calgary’s oil patch where Katherine made her mark, and flourished in the career she also loved, and which eventually put her into the path of her beloved husband, when they began working together at Amoco Canada and Olympic Seismic.
A Celebration of Katherine's Life will be held Saturday, August 21st, 2021 at 11:00am at the Banff Trail Community Association. You are kindly requested to wear pink in honour of Katherine and if you have them, please come in your Crocs.
The world will forever miss the sweet footsteps of Katherine’s crocs, as she tiptoed gently into our hearts, and never let us go. As Kathie would say: “OK buoyeee…see ya.”
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Katherine, please visit www.choicememorial.com.