Kathleen, resident of the Seattle area for over 36 years, passed away January 22, 2016 at Swedish First Hill Hospital after a short, intense battle with lung cancer. She was born June 28, 1943 in Buffalo, New York to William R. Notley Jr. and Luella M. Grodem and was the 2nd of seven children. Kathleen left the Buffalo area with friends in 1972 bound for California, first living in San Diego then moving to Berkeley in 1974 where she lived for several years before moving to the Seattle/Puget Sound area in 1979.
During the course of her working career, she worked in such fields as commercial construction and the computer industry as well as the Effectiveness Institute in Seattle but her music was always the driving force of her life and she eventually managed to support herself teaching piano lessons for several years until a debilitating automobile accident in 1997. Kathleen developed strong connections with her students, many of whom continued to keep in touch with her through the years. Her prized possession was her grand piano. She loved life and lived it to the fullest, always striving for excellence in all her pursuits. She wrote music and poetry and was an avid gardener and master recycler.
She had many lifelong friends and loved to stay in touch with them. She was an avid reader and life-long learner, receiving a BA degree in English Literature from the University of Washington in about 1989. She loved nature and was a deeply spiritual woman who was always trying to better understand the world around her.
Kathleen is survived by her six siblings: Diane Notley of Cotati, California; Beth (Steve) Morrison of Provo, Utah; Walt Notley of Carmel, California; Linda Notley of Orchard Park, New York; Susan (Al) Monaco of North Evans, New York, and Bill (Laura) Notley of Tomball, Texas; as well as her many friends. A memorial is being planned in Seattle for Saturday, March 5th, 2016.