Katherine Hoyt

Katherine (Kay) Devereaux Hoyt, 92, passed away December 4, 2011, at her home in Port Orchard.  Kay was born October 16, 1919 in Seattle, Washington, daughter of John Devereaux Johnstone and Edith Miles Boddy.  Katherine lived with her mother for some time in Connecticut and New York, but always missed the Northwest, traveling back as a teenager to finish High School in Washington State where she graduated from Edmonds High School in 1939.  Kay attended Business College in Seattle after high school and in the early 40’s lived briefly in San Diego, where she met and married Richard Gruber. She worked at the Washington State Veterans Home in Retsil for 12 years before becoming an Auditor for the Department of Revenue in Olympia.  She retired in 1982. Kay enjoyed 29 years of retirement, building a home at Lake Cushman near Hoodsport where she enjoyed the outdoors, nature photography, hiking, Mariners baseball, knitting, quilting, and involvement with St. Germains Episcopal Church.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas (Tim) Hoyt.  She is survived by her sister Betty Haaland of Hoodsport; her son, Larry Gruber of Port Orchard; daughters, Louise Anderson of Fort Fraser, BC; Joan Sauer of Port Orchard; 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, at 2 pm, December 17, 2011 at St. Germains Episcopal Church in Hoodsport.