Catherine Rinearson Gabrielson - Photo 2

OCEAN PARK — Catherine Rinearson Gabrielson was born on Dec. 31, 1937 in Portland, Oregon and died on Sept. 15, 2023 in Ocean Park, Washington.

Catherine is survived by her daughter Jill M. Johnson, grandson Sean P. O’Keefe, granddaughters, Nicole M. Johnson, Stephanie C. Johnson and Caitlin B. Dettloff. In addition, she has five great-granddaughters, one great-grandson and one on the way. Catherine is predeceased by her husband, Ronald C. Gabrielson; and sons Patrick C. Gabrielson and Roger D. Gabrielson.

Catherine graduated from Oregon City High School, Oregon City. After graduating she attended Oregon State College in Corvallis, where she majored in education. Catherine met her husband Ronald at Oregon State, and they married on May 2, 1959 in Milwaukie, Oregon. They then moved to Maryland where Catherine became a teacher before transitioning into being a full-time mom and wife. Next, they moved to the Bay Area for Ronald’s work with Chevron.

Catherine (whose nickname was Chatty Cathy) made friends easily. She was a tireless volunteer at schools, Campfire Girls, Boy Scouts, little league, and softball. She also enjoyed quilting, sewing, crocheting, knitting, needle point, puzzles of all types, cards and bowling. Catherine made sure the holidays and vacations were always special at her house. Mom silently saved money from her grocery budget to make sure those holiday and family vacations happened. Those memories will last a lifetime.

Catherine loved being a grandma. She was so helpful and involved in being the extra set of helping hands to make sure her grandchildren never went without. As the family grew older, Mom and Dad joined the Elk’s Lodge and Catherine again became a dependable volunteer for the Elk’s Lodge.

In 1994, Catherine and Ronald retired to the Long Beach peninsula where they built their dream home that could accommodate their entire family. The family would like to say a special thanks to Catherine’s best friend of 50-plus years, Wendy Porter, for being here not once, but twice when mom got sick. You put your whole life on hold and came running. Anyone can be a friend when you are well, it takes a very special friend to be a friend when you are sick. Many thanks.

Services will be held at Willamette National Cemetery, Friday Oct. 6, 2023 at 10:30 a.m., 11800 SE Mt. Scott Blvd, Happy Valley, OR 97086. We will meet at the entrance where a staff member will escort the group to the destination spot for the services. After the services there will be a celebration of Catherine’s life to be held at the house that she grew up in that is now owned by her niece. The address to that location is 19665 SE Jay Street, Milwaukie, OR 97267.

There will be a link on Penttila’s Chapel by the Sea’s website where the service will be livestreamed. Condolences can be left at www.penttilaschapel.com