Catherine Anne Harmon

Catherine Ann Harmon, age 54, of Bellingham, Washington passed away on October 16, 2008 at Big Lake, Washington. The daughter of Jackie Y. Burns and Donald J. Harmon, Sr., she was born on April 2, 1954 in Seattle, Washington. She was raised in Everett, Washington and attended school in the Mukilteo School District, graduating in the first graduating class of Mariner High School. While at Mariner High School she excelled on the swim team, earning her Life Saving Certificate. During her junior year, she was an exchange student in Yokohama, Japan and has stayed in touch with her host family throughout the years. She earned her AA degree at Skagit Valley College, excelling on the tennis team. Tennis continued to be the love of her life. She transferred to Western Washington University where she earned her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Communications.

As a single parent, she served human resources departments in Santa Cruz, California and Spokane, Washington before taking the law school admissions test and attending Gonzaga Law School. She completed two years before failing health made it necessary to withdraw and let go of her dream. She then moved to Anacortes, Washington to be near her family. She served Celebration Lutheran Church as secretary and also did volunteer work for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Anacortes School District.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Amee and Dan Barber, and grandson, Lucas, of Big Lake, Washington; son Matthew Craig of Bellingham, Washington; mother, Jackie Y. Burns, of Burlington, Washington; father and step-mother, Don and Barbara Harmon, of Seattle, Washington; step-father Ed Burns of Bothell, Washington; brothers and sisters-in-law, Jim and Cheryl Harmon of Port Hueneme, California and Zac Harmon and Carol Gregersen of Long Beach, California; sister and brother-in law, Shari and Jim Weaver, of Anacortes, Washington; step-brother, Randy Burns, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and step-sister, Lori Beetchenow, of Omak, Washington with whom she was especially close. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who fondly remember receiving flat mail from "Auntie Catherine" - cards filled with anything and everything that would fit into an envelope.

A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, November 9, 2008 at Celebration Lutheran Church at 1216-7th Street, Anacortes, Washington at 2:30 p.m. with Pastor Terry Kyllo presiding.

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Good bye my friend, good bye.