Kathryn S (Friedersdorf) Koon

Kathryn Sue Koon

December 16, 1946 – July 9. 2020

On July, 9, 2020 God brought a special Angel home to his Kingdom in Heaven.  Kathy of Prineville, Oregon and Sun Lakes Arizona, bravely fought but eventually lost a 3-year battle with ovarian cancer. 

Kathryn was born on December 16, 1946 in Wabash, Indiana to parents, John Edgar Friedersdorf and Kathryn Betsy May Hawley.  She graduated in 1965 from Wabash High School.  She attended beauty school in Peru, Indiana before entering the US Air Force in 1967.  She served 8 years in the Air Force, being stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Oahu, Hawaii and Illinois. 

Kathryn met and married Ronald Houlihan in 1972.  Her daughter Andrea was born in July of 1974.  She began her pursuit of nursing in 1978 and she received her nursing degree from the College of St. Mary in Omaha in 1981.

She met her current spouse, Richard Koon, in 1980 and moved to Oregon with Richard and two of his daughters in May 1981. 

In Oregon, Kathy started her career as an RN at Newberg Community Hospital as an ER Nurse.  She then went on to work in the Intensive Care Unit and later became the Unit Manager.  In 1987 she began working in Intensive Care as well as the Cardiac Recovery Unit at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon.  She later became the Relief House Supervisor. 

In 2004, Kathy and Richard moved to Powell Butte, Oregon and she continued her career at St. Charles Bend, working in the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit.) She retired from nursing in 2010.

Kathy found her nursing positions extremely rewarding.  She not only took care of her patient’s physical needs, she also worked to treat her patients emotional and spiritual needs as she was devoted to her faith. 

After retirement, Kathy and Richard enjoyed 10 years traveling back and forth to their home in Arizona.  Always ready to try different activities, Kathryn enjoyed camping, fishing, golfing, dancing, Bocce Ball, gardening, quilting and crafts.  They both enjoyed traveling and they went on a trip to Greece in 2018 with good friends.

Kathy enjoyed making people laugh.  Richard would often say there was never a dull moment when she was around. 

She is survived by her loving husband Richard and  an extensive family including her brothers Jake and Doug Friedersdorf of Wabash, Indiana, her daughters Andrea Houlihan of Milwaukie, Oregon, Laura Anderson of Omaha, Nebraska, Susan Cerruti of Oceanside, California and Sheryl Pierce of Junction City, Kansas.  Grandchildren Hannah Jones, Jordan Anderson, Corrine Anderson, Kendall Anderson, Parker Crouse, Dominic Cerruti, Anthony Cerruti and Madilyn Pierce. 

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