Kathleen May Hoydal Walker, 92, is again with her husband, Dale Walker, after passing peacefully in her home surrounded by loving family.
Kathleen was born in Seattle, Washington, on Dec. 17, 1928, to Norwegian immigrant parents Nels Hoydal and Ragna Hoydal. Kathleen was the eldest of two daughters. She now joins her dear sister, Astrid Hoydal Odegard. Kathleen was a lifelong Washington state native and spent her first 26 years in the Norwegian neighborhood of Ballard. Kathleen had a deep love of the arts and played violin in orchestra throughout middle and high school. Kathleen graduated from Ballard High in 1946 and after graduation completed a two-year college business degree program. Kathleen was then employed by the Boeing Airplane Company with a “top secret” clearance in the contract administration department. Kathleen attended Norwegian festivals and big-band dances at Norse Hall and the Swedish Club in Seattle and at one of those, Kathleen met her future husband and the love of her life, Dale, while he was a student at the University of Washington. Kathleen and Dale were married in 1952 in Ballard First Lutheran Church in Seattle.
Kathleen and Dale moved to Vancouver, Washington, so Dale could attend dental school at the University of Oregon. During the early years of their marriage, they traveled during summer breaks while Dale was in dental school to Sutherlin, Oregon, where Dale logged in the woods. Kathleen found logging a unique experience for a Seattle city girl and Norwegian fisherman’s daughter and she learned to count board feet of timber over pounds of halibut.
Kathleen and Dale bought acreage and built a beautiful family home in Battle Ground, Washington, where they raised their three daughters, Rondi, Trudi and Heidi. Kathleen was a dedicated and loving mother to her children and instilled the values of hard work and the importance of education. Kathleen loved reading, snow skiing, water skiing, hiking, Tole painting, flower arrangements and gardening. Her true passion was music and she was a season ticket holder of the Portland Opera for 38 years. Kathleen loved to travel and spent many years flying with her husband in their airplane to Alaska, Mexico and Canada. Kathleen was fortunate to travel many times to Norway, Sweden, Demark, France, Italy, Jamaica, Hawaii and South America with family and close friends. Kathleen was also a member of the Sons of Norway–Columbia Lodge in Vancouver, Washington.
Kathleen took immense joy in her four grandchildren, Alek Barkats, Nikolai Barkats, Kathleen Barkats and Giovanni Scarpelli. She loved being a Bestemor (Norwegian for grandmother) and spoiled her loved ones. Kathleen is survived by her three loving daughters, Rondi Walker of Washington D.C., Trudi Walker of Vancouver, Washington, and Heidi Walker Scarpelli of Vancouver, Washington. Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband Dale and her younger sister, Astrid.
Her memory will be honored with a graveside service at Brush Prairie Cemetery located on the east side of NE 117th AVE and south of 119th St. on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, at 11 a.m.
