Katherine York

Katherine York passed away on January 27, 2011 in Manchester, WA. Known as "Kitty" to family and friends, she was born on September 28, 1968 in Bellingham, WA to parents Keith and Mary (Ballard) Galpin.   In 1978 she moved to Manchester with her mother and brother where she remained until her death. A 1987 graduate of South Kitsap High School, she married her high school sweetheart, Carl York. Together they had two wonderful children, Jake and Emma. Katherine worked for the past 20 years at the EPA laboratory in Manchester where she made many wonderful friends that have become a part of our family. Katherine loved her husband, children, and family very much. She enjoyed scrapbooking pictures of their many trips to Disneyland, school events, and every sport under the sun that the kids were involved in. She shared a great bond with her brother that included many inside jokes that only they understood, and she lived to torment him after his beloved Seahawks or Huskies lost a game. She was a fantastic daughter, wife, mother, sister and friend. She is irreplaceable. Katherine is survived by her husband Carl York, and their children Jake (15) and Emma (12), her father, Keith Galpin and his wife Susan of Gig Harbor, her grandmother, Betty Bredeson of Port Orchard, her brother Kyle Galpin of Manchester, and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary (Ballard) Galpin. Services for Katherine will be at the Rill's Life Tribute Center on Mitchell Avenue in Port Orchard on Friday, February 4th at 10:30 am followed by a graveside ceremony at Sunset Lane Memorial Park. The family will be hosting a reception at the Port Orchard Eagles Club on Jackson Avenue following the graveside service at which cake and light hors d'oeuvres will be served. A viewing will be held Thursday, February 3 from 6PM to 8PM at Rill's Life Tribute Center. In lieu of flowers, an account has been created by Carl's former co-workers at Umpqua bank for the children's future education. Donations may be made at the Gig Harbor North branch of Umpqua Bank at 4949 Borgen Blvd NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. The account is set up in the name of Carl York and those wishing to donate will need to reference the account number ending in "6783-In memory of Katherine York".