Kathleen Naomi Mcdonald

Kathleen “Kathy” Naomi Jackson was born on February 24,1946 at Columbus Hospital in Seattle, Washington to Joseph “Roy” and Naomi Isabel (Rodgers) Jackson. With an older sister and 2 older twin brothers, Kathy was among what became 5 siblings with her younger sister’s birth.

It was a hard-working household, slightly chaotic household, with Roy earning his living in construction and Naomi in nursing. Roy would buy a piece of land, build a home, sell it, and move his family to the next project. The living conditions were sometimes rugged, with one home being a large canvas tent across the street from Green Lake. Add to this picture a mother who worked nights, and the disruption of constant movement, and one can’t help but respect the solid, constancy of the person Kathy would become.

Kathy attended several Seattle schools including Maple Leaf Grade School, Olympic View, Green Lake Elementary, John Marshall and Roosevelt High. As this was prior to Title IX, Kathy didn’t play school sports, but she was a naturally strong and athletic person, playing soccer and baseball with schoolmates and neighbors, swimming with her brothers, and roller skating and bicycling with friends. Years later, she would also take up downhill skiing.

Kathy had an unusually high spirit for adventure. At 16, she ran off to Portland, Oregon with Robert “Bob” McDonald (17), waiting tables until her dad tracked her down and brought them both back. By this point, Kathy was pregnant and engaged, so Roy put Bob to work in his construction business while Kathy completed her diploma at Edmonds Adult Education and welcomed her 1st of 3 children, Kim, with Bob. It wasn’t long before Kathy was setting off again, now to Fort Campbell in TN, where Bob was stationed. They would move several more times, adding 2 more children, Kelly, and Robert “Rob”, before settling down in a little blue house across the street from Shorewood High School in North Seattle.

From the outside, this may have appeared to be a stable time for Kathy. She was certainly in one place for longer than she’d ever been previously. It was, however, not a stable marriage. She divorced Bob when the kids were well into their teens, and like all women of the era, faced countless obstacles in building a life for herself.

As with all challenges, Kathy was as analytical as she was tenacious, and moved to Bellingham to attend Western Washington University, attaining a bachelor’s in computer science, and going on to master many computer languages and programming at several notable companies like Infogain, ASIX and Epicor. Kathy was innately curious, with a keen intellect, and even as she juggled the demands of family and career, she still made time to learn. In fact, she had enrolled in an archaeology class this past fall.

As accomplished as she became in her career, she never took herself especially seriously, and in the best way possible, her joy was in spending time with family. Not being especially emotionally demonstrative, she showed her love in time and attention. She adored sharing adventures big and small with her family, particularly beachcombing, antiquing, and playing games.

Kathy’s love of games combined her many talents with her deepest bonds. There were always cards at the ready to be played after dinner. Notoriously fair, she never “allowed” even the youngest kids to win, yet always strived to match the game to others’ abilities; and although she loved to win, she loved the joy of play even more. Kathy nurtured this playfulness and encouraged it in her family. After her challenging early years, she cherished sharing the camaraderie and fun of a great round of gin rummy.

One can’t think of Kathy without remembering her laugh. The perfect combination of cackle, giggle, and guffaw, it was legendary, and never at someone else’s expense. Kathy worked hard all of her life and her good humor was for gratitude, and from a place well-earned.

Kathy is survived by her siblings, Ronald (Susan) Jackson and Joyce (Robert) O’Malley, children Kelly Mae McDonald and Robert (Kelly) McDonald, grandchildren Armando (Samantha) Almirol, Amanda (Taylor) King, Nikki (Alan) Montufar, Karena (Alex) Paek, T.J.(Victoria) Wood, Brandan Wood, Lillian McDonald, Iris McDonald, Jordan Brito, Joseph Brito, and Jessica Brito; and a dozen great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter Kim (Steve) Oliver, father, Roy (Phyllis) McDonald, mother, Naomi Rogers, and siblings, Carol Johnston and Donald (Lisa) Jackson.

We plan on having a memorial service sometime this Summer.

Thank you for helping us honoring our loved one by supporting the mission of the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation.

Kathleen Naomi McDonald's fundraising page for PKD Foundation (pkdcure.org)