Rest In Peace,Tiki-Kate

I never met Kate but for me she was one of those few faces that I would recognize when on TC from all those years back till now so she was the familar face to this site and the way to connect to what was going on a world away. I feel very sad. ~teaKEY

(Please copy mine and add/change anything you'd like to this)

Kate was a Girl Scout leader.

Kate majored in Victorian-Era English Literature in college.

Kate hated reading all those novels in school, so she read Nancy Drew to clear her head. She collected a complete set of 1950’s edition Nancy Drews.

Kate had a job as an order fulfillment manager at a surgical supply warehouse. (Correct me if I’m wrong, please!) This always struck me as a classic 1950’s job, working in a bare-bones building under fluorescent lights, typing all day. You’d expect Rock Hudson to walk in and start complaining about year end quotas, with big zig-zag charts.

She was one of the very first members of Tiki Central, going back to when it was a Yahoo Users group. She remembers all the details of Bong getting kicked out, the birth of International Tiki Day, etc.

She has a complete or almost complete collection of Tiki Farm mugs. She was Holden’s biggest fan, and would always pump him for info about edition sizes and release dates. It was quite an education, simply following Kate around when she’d be hunting and questioning Holden.

Her entire mug collection was destroyed in a famous incident when a stolen car ended a high speed chase with the police by driving directly into her home, hitting the wall holding the mugs first. I’d still like to see pictures of this, Kate must have taken pictures. The whole collection was replaced piece by piece with insurance money.

She has a bumper sticker - "I Brake for Tiki-Kate's House".

Kate was either the outright inventor or head technical consultant for Ooga-Mooga, the ultimate tiki mug online database. It’s probably the coolest website on Earth, that’s all.

Kate loved to hang out at Oceanic Arts, when she was depressed about anything she’d just go buy a mask there. It worked every time.

Kate attended every chop, right from the start. She got to love carving so much, using it as an exercise/relaxation technique, that she carved in her kitchen in the morning! Just like Buzzy!

She had a huge collection of Hawaiian XL shirts and beach towels.

Kate drank Rum and Kava, and hated coffee.

Kate went to EVERY Tiki event. At one point you could tell if it was a good event simply because Kate went to it. She was legendary for driving for hours all across California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Blue Ridge Mountains, just to swill a drink and discuss matchbooks. This is all the more amazing, because she was a very shy person at heart.

Kate visited the original sources for the whole Tiki Culture, she actually went to New Zealand and Hawaii. Her tracking down the Legendary Lost Bamboo Grove at the end of a Hawaiian trail was an incredible feat of detective work, worthy of Nancy Drew herself.

Kate had the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen. Her smile grew in direct proportion to the amount of Tiki Folk around her.

Long live Kate, in all our hearts and minds.

What terribly sad news.

My thoughts go out to Tiki Kate's family and to all her friends here on TC. It seems like she was an amazing woman and I'm sad I did not get the chance to get to know her.

On 2010-09-23 13:28, Cammo wrote:
(Please copy mine and add/change anything you'd like to this)
Kate had a job as an order fulfillment manager at a surgical supply warehouse. (Correct me if I’m wrong, please!) This always struck me as a classic 1950’s job, working in a bare-bones building under fluorescent lights, typing all day. You’d expect Rock Hudson to walk in and start complaining about year end quotas, with big zig-zag charts.

Kate moved jobs and had most recently been working at Kohl's in their distribution center. I think she had been there between 2-3 years. She loved her job and her co-workers a lot.
Kohl's medical coverage for Kate was incredible. The month long hospital stay she had in December/January cost Kate a few hundred dollars out of pocket. Most of her visits and so many of the drugs she was on were mostly covered by insurance. Even though she had missed working for most of 2010, they were super supportive of getting her on disability, and making sure her insurance coverage didn't lapse. Her sister even had a call on Monday with someone from the company letting her know that Kate would still be getting a paycheck while on hospice. She had an on-site nurse at her work that she could visit for naps when she got too tired. I will always support Kohl's for how they treated Kate.

Kate went to EVERY Tiki event. At one point you could tell if it was a good event simply because Kate went to it. She was legendary for driving for hours all across California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Blue Ridge Mountains, just to swill a drink and discuss matchbooks. This is all the more amazing, because she was a very shy person at heart.

When I visited Kate, I would often think about the 2 hour drive to get up there. I could rarely get up there before 11am. But Kate was almost always the first person at a chop, getting up as early as she needed to, and driving as long as needed to get there. I always knew that if she could get to chops, then I could manage to go see her.
She really was so very shy, and so nervous about meeting people.

Kate wasn't her real first name, and none of her family call her Kate.

A visit to Oceanic Arts was ALWAYS followed by lunch at The Bahooka.

:music: Goodbye Kate, I'll see you on the other side :music:

My deepest sympathy to all of Kate's many friends and her family. I didn't know Kate, but have felt incredibly saddened by all of this. I hope you are all able to enjoy all the memories with less sorrow soon.

Aloha, Tiki-Kate.

Kate touched many of us in many special ways. She was always a fun person to be around. Reading this thread is bittersweet. I have to keep stopping to dry my eyes.

Kate attended the baby shower for my first born and on the way stopped at an estate sale (she could never pass one without stopping, but who can?) She found a small vintage hawaiian shirt for our yet unborn little one. She was so excited to have found it!! Two years later he is just fitting into it and he LOVES it. Everytime he wears it I think of her and smile and I always will. When he outgrows it, which will be too soon, I'll save it for his little sister.

Keep remembering the good times.....Keep remembering the good times.

Mieko, Good stories about Kate, especially about her shyness of meeting new people. That totally explains our awkward first meet at Oasis 09. shy person meets shy person. But I made a point of finding her and introducing myself. She was one of the first people on TC to get a piece of art from me and I wanted to thank her.

BigTikiDude, Cammo, Mieko - thanks for the stories, I needed that :)

Cammo wrote
She has a bumper sticker - "I Brake for Tiki-Kate's House"

I saw that bumper sticker on Buzzy's thread today. Probably been in hundreds of Buzz's pix and I never saw it before.

Kate hooked me up with a recipe for Disneyland's Bengal Beef kabobs when I was a newbie, long before I knew who she was.

*Her entire mug collection was destroyed in a famous incident when a stolen car ended a high speed chase with the police by driving directly into her home, hitting the wall holding the mugs first. I’d still like to see pictures of this, Kate must have taken pictures. The whole collection was replaced piece by piece with insurance money. *

twice! she lived at the end of a "T".

kate's license plates read, "tikigrl"

kate had a squirrel living in her crawl space and she didn't mind.

On 2010-09-23 11:51, ookoo lady wrote:
Just a reminder of some of the Tiki-Kate’s contribution to the content of Tiki-Central:

A Collection of Cannibals

Tiki-Kate’s great big collection of tiki wear

Topic: 1963 Hawaiian Vacation

Tiki-Kate’s Strange Little Beach Towel Collection

Thank you for posting pictures. Each one makes me smile.

All amazing examples of her love for the Urban Archaeology. I will add that, if you want to see even more examples of her great contributions to this site,
just go to Locating Tiki....so many great expeditions her and Boris would go on to find former tiki temples...
apartments, restaurants....tons of photos detailing all the existing remnants of of tiki in these places....including ads from old phone books found in libraries, and all kinds of other stuff. So thorough.
These were always my favorite Tiki Kate posts.
Those, and the one time she posted a menu cover for Wan Q, and I asked her to post pics of the rest of the menu, and she did...just cos I asked.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=24925&forum=2&vpost=459123&hilite=Wan%20Q

Thanx Kate for all the great content and contributions to this site...we all lose out from your passing.

aloha my friend.

Very sad news :( I have been out of town yesterday and just heard about this. I received the initial shock a few days ago when I learned she was going into hospice. I thought her battle was very brave, and it was quite a jolt to get a reality kick, and realize that sometimes even the bravest battles don't win the war.
My deepest condolences to her family and friends who had been with her to the very end.
And if we're bringing back the porcelan god story at Ona's, then I guess I'll have to add she always blamed my drinks on that, and we used to joke about it every time we met.
Farewell Kate,
Ran

So, so sad. :(

Condolences to her family, as well as her friends here on TC. I never had the pleasure of knowing her, but I did have the pleasure of seeing her extensive contributions to this forum as well as Ooga-Mooga. Her smile seemed to be the subject of an awful lot of photos posted on this forum from a lot of events. I hope the powers that be see that her contributions become a permanent part of this sight.

I was looking at Kate's facebook page today, and saw this great photo of her and Billy the Crud.
Billy sometimes rubbed Kate the wrong way, and they had had kind of a falling out, but that changed when they crossed paths room-crawling at Oasis 9, as evidenced in this shot:

I had the great pleasure to meet Kate on several occasions from chops on Mission Bay to Tiki Oasis. I'm so sad and will miss her greatly.

We never met, or knowingly crossed paths. Clearly, she was a great friend to many people.

So sorry for everyone's loss.

I met Kate at my first Oasis in 2008...in fact at this carving village.......I was at the event alone and really didnt know anyone.
She befriended me as we talked about the tiki she was working on....i had asked her ...what will it look like when its done?
her response ...it is what it is.........now my favorite saying......She made my first oasis experience a fun one.....i have returned each year and did get to hang out with her at 09
...i missed her this year as she was unable to attend....ive met some great friends at oasis that were her friends........She was my mug trading partner twice in a row and we laughed about that.....we swapped stories about the Royal Lahaina resort as we had both been to it recently ..... These friendships i will never forget...as i will always remember Kate
The spirt and dedication that she had to the tiki spirt was evident in joy that you saw when you talked with her.........I am a better person for meeting her.......

I raise my mug to her....and lower it in sadness ........she wil be missed by all who knew her .......

The world is a little brighter for she havimg been a part of it and a little sadder that she left so soon.

Okay since we’re sharing details here’s something - She was Nauseatingly Punctual, you'd say “Let’s leave my place at 7:00 AM” and at 7:00:01 AM while still getting ready I'd get the call “Okay, I’m here are you ready to go?” :lol:

The time we got to spend with Kate was very short. She was nice enough to come and hang out with us at the Bali Hai and at the Ona Tiki when we were in San Diego over our birthday weekend in 2006. What struck me at the time and is reinforced by the responses I'm reading here is that Kate was a very warm person and more importantly, very genuine. She lacked any pretense and spoke her mind. She was the kind of person who, after even a brief encounter, you'd count as a friend. We need more people like Kate in the world. I wish we'd been able to spend more time with her.

She will be missed.

Aloha Kate.
-Duke

I can't properly relate how sad it is to hear about Kate, she was instrumental in encouraging me to come down to San Diego and attend several chops and events that I might not have attended otherwise. She made my son feel welcome when he came to learn amongst mostly adults and for that and all she did to make a difference in all our lives, she will be missed. Thanks Kate!

On 2010-09-23 00:18, GROG wrote:
Here you go Mieko.

Boris and I visited with her on Tuesday and had the pleasure of meeting her Dad, brother, and her sister Susan. Kate was pretty weak, and because of the drugs couldn't really speak or keep her eyes open for long. She said something, but it was too hard to hear her well, and it sounded like she said "Not sure", and tried to repeat it a couple of times. We couldn't figure out which question or statement she was responding to. It wasn't until later that night when I was home I realized she was saying "Nice shirt" because she recognized I was wearing the Hawaiian shirt she gave to me at the shirt swap at Tiki Oasis a couple of years ago. She had picked it out for me at Oasis from those she had brought with her, she held it up and said "This will look good on you", and shoved it into my hands. It's always been my favorite Hawaiian shirt.

What a great and kind spirited lady. I'll miss her very much.

AWESOME ERNESTO!!!

Awesome tributes for this very kind spirit.

She will be missed.

Sorry for the lost to family and friends

Kate and I crossed paths at many events, I wish I had known her better. Hugs to all of her friends who will miss her. Rest well, Kate.

[ Edited by: Kiki von Tiki 2010-09-24 13:59 ]

On 2010-09-23 19:50, 4WDtiki wrote:
I was looking at Kate's facebook page today, and saw this great photo of her and Billy the Crud.
Billy sometimes rubbed Kate the wrong way, and they had had kind of a falling out, but that changed when they crossed paths room-crawling at Oasis 9, as evidenced in this shot:

I like this photo a lot. Kate was really happy that she and Billy had buried the hatchet and were friends again. She told me that story a couple of times.

This is just appalling. I only met Kate a few times but every single time was a delight. She was one of those rare, lovely, bright-spirited people for whom my (usually cantankerous and reclusive) heart just opens immediately. It was simply impossible not to feel at home with her right away; she was so easy and fun to be with, such a sweet, funny, kind and delightful human being. Kate, dear lady--I will never forget you. To all of you who loved her, I am so sorry for your loss.

kate was the first friend i made when i joined tiki central and one of the first i met at my first tiki event at jungle trader's house. she did many kind things for me over the years, and i tried to return the favor as often as i could. friends like kate are what make tiki central so special to me. i've missed her during her illness and even more now. my life was better for having tiki kate as my friend. i've always loved this pic i took of kate at tiki oasis '07. r.i.p. sistah.

i'm glad i have this sticker as a small permanent memorial to kate in my tiki room.

bangin' my slit gong drum until the cops come!

[ Edited by: kingstiedye 2010-09-24 16:17 ]

I wish I could've met Kate. I'm so sorry to hear of her passing!

I got to know Kate at the San Diego Chop Shop a few years ago. We were sitting at a table together with Mieko carving our Benzart Tikis when my carving knife slipped and I sliced my finger. It was a minor cut but she was quick to grab a band aid and help stop the bleeding. I remember how concerned she was because I had just recovered from open heart surgery and was on blood thinners that made the cut look worse than it was. She was a very caring and kind person and I will always remember her gentle, good nature. Prayers and good thoughts to you Kate and your loved ones. You will be missed and remembered always.

Kate,
I'm so thankful to have known you. I enjoyed all our good conversations at the chops, and different occasions through the years. We shared many laughs, and tears along the way too. I admired your passion for everything you loved, and the strength that you had as a woman. I feel priveledged to have been able to help be there for you even if it was just a small part. I'm so proud that you have taught us all such a lesson on how to live life, and to be strong. I'll really miss you. Until we meet again...

Love,
Christina

xxx x ooo o

RIP...i only met you in passing but you made an impression. from one of the lucky ones, mahalo

:up: The Urban Archaeologist at work. :)

Urban archeologist is right, and what a dedicated one! She is probably the only person who went fully thru with this:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29661&forum=1&vpost=405218

She called it silly, but it really proves how much she loved to just go out there and find Tiki temples and their remnants. She had been to all of them, and then some. She really had the bug. Boris, you were lucky to accompany her on many of her expeditions.

Selector Lopaka sends out Love! I like to think you are now a part of The Big Luau in the Sky! Blessings to you Tiki Kate!

I have been watching this thread from the begining, but I really had no idea what to say.

This is heartbreaking.

I suppose I had deluded myself into thinking that this was something that she could beat. She certainly gave it her best try, and for that you have to admire and respect her. But when I saw the word "hospice" in Buzzy's earlier post my heart sank. And then just a few days later she was gone. I can only hope that her suffering was not too severe and that she has found some peace.

Well, if there is a tiki heaven, or at the very least tikis in heaven, then Kate has her hands full there hobnobbing with Captain Cook to King Kamehahmeha to Donn Beach to Eli Hedley. I hope she is learning cocktail tips from Don Beach and Ray Buhen and has probably already organized a Chop.

I hope to see you again one day, Kate.

From the lovely posts here, it seems like she lived a very full life albeit too brief. she certainly had good taste :wink:

my heartfelt condolences

Kate always made me laugh, I never saw her in a bad mood. Can't honestly say that about too many people, including myself . We will miss you Kate honey, that is for sure.

I was so shocked to see this, I am deeply saddened. There are no words.

I am saddened by this news. Was hoping to meet her someday :(

"Kate, I know you're in a better place. My mom passed on Monday the 20th, so I know you're in GREAT company.

You are at peace now, and to all those who knew you...
THAT is truly a blessing.

in Love and light,
Rose(red)Marston

I just read about Kate's passing.
I didnt know her well but I got the chance to meet her at monkeymans chop about a year ago.
We sat next to each other on the porch and talked for a few hours while carving.
She was a very nice and outgoing person.
My condolences to her friends and family.

Just read this about Kate. I'm shocked and feel so sad to hear this news. Kate was always so fun to be around and a true go-getter if I ever met one. I am happy to have known her and feel sad that I didn't spend more time getting to know her even more. She will be missed. My condolences go to her family. Awful news... just awful.

I always enjoyed her shirt thread so much. She really was good at the hunt and sharing her finds with everyone. Thanks to all who have shared their memories and photos of Tiki Kate. My condolences to all of you who knew and loved her.

So sad...whenever I head a Crowded House song I always think of Kate. Now she is RIP and pain free..