Kathryn Weston 1953 - 2009 Rosary will be recited, followed by Mass of Christian Burial, Thursday July 16, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for Kathryn Weston. Interment will follow at Union Cemetery. Kathy was born on November 10, 1953 and went back to Spirit on July 11, 2009. She is preceded in death by her parents, Todd and Juliana Weston, and her sister, Licia Cardwell. She is survived by her two sons, Ryan Bowman and Kevin Gamez, whom she loved dearly. Her sons were a source of great pride. Kevin is a Senior at Cal State Bakersfield where he is completing a Bachelors degree in Psychology and plans to obtain his PhD in the same field. Ryan is a physician at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is also survived by her brother, Jeff Weston; her niece and nephews, Brian and Jeannie Bertolaccini , Mark Shockley, Brigette and Steve Hamblet; as well as her cousin, Cindy Richina; and close friends, Jane Siemon, Pat Bonas, Ann Giddings and Mike Panetta. Kathy graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1971 where she was a cheerleader. She graduated from La Mesa College with an Associate's degree as a legal secretary in 1973. She then worked for Cal Water and Occidental Petroleum before going back to school to obtain her teaching credential at Cal State Bakersfield in 1984. She loved teaching young children and her students adored her. She taught at Stine Elementary School from 1986 through 2001 and then at the Greenfield Union School District from 2005 through the present. From 1987 through 2003, Kathy pursued her love of plants and gardens by owning and operating KW Landscape & Design, which specialized in "colorscapes," landscaping with flowers. Besides her love of gardening, Kathy enjoyed exploring her Italian heritage. She was currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Italian Heritage Dante Association, and loved cooking Italian. She is famous for her authentic old-world homemade raviolis, a secret family recipe that she has passed down to her sons. These raviolis were and will continue to be served for every Christmas dinner. She was also an avid and prolific photographer, shooting thousands of pictures of her family, friends and students, and making very creative and detailed photo albums for all to enjoy. She could be an incredibly productive and energetic person who loved to "get things done", but she was just as happy to relax and enjoy a good movie with a bowl of piping hot popcorn. She will be remembered for the compassion of her beliefs, her love for her children, and her beautiful smile, and all will miss her. Memorial donations in Kathy's memory may be made to the Italian Heritage Foundation, P. O. Box 1451, Bakersfield, CA 93302. Visitation is scheduled Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Doughty-Calhoun-O'Meara

Published in Bakersfield Californian on 7/14/2009