Kathleen Louise Noland Obituary (2023)

Kathleen Louise Haldi-Noland passed away peacefully Friday, December 30 at Cottage in the Meadow. Her parents await her in heaven to be reuinted at last to laugh together once again. Kathie was born August 16, 1943, in Wallace, Idaho to Louise and Walter Haldi. A child of the Silver Valley, she graduated from Wallace High School in 1961 and then moved east to receive her bachelors in education at the University of Montana. Following college, she returned to Wallace to teach high school at her alma mater. Wanting a fresh start and some adventure, Kathie decided to move to Guam with her young daughter Shannon in 1968. There, she received her masters in education at the University of Guam, taught PE, and coached at George Washington High School in Mangilao. While in Guam, she met and married Phillip Morris in Honolulu, returned to the U.S., and had her second daughter, Shelley, in Oxnard, California, before returning with the family to Guam. During her time on the island, Kathies love for beaches and the ocean grew and became a love she shared with her daughters. She often traveled with her girls to nearby Saipan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, picking up beautiful odds and ends from that part of the world, refining her unique taste. She loved her time in Guam, made lifelong friends, and learned to cook many Guamanian dishes always having white rice at the ready. This is where the 60s houseplant, macram, and tabbouleh-loving Kathie really flourished. Hafa Adai! In the late 70s, the whole family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Getting a job with Xerox, Kathie learned she was an amazing salesperson, and changed her whole career course to pursue that love. Her daughters have great memories of going to work with her on Saturdays and copying their faces on the machines, time and again. During this time in her life, it was common to see her dark hair flowing down her back, in a Halston wrap dress and heels heading to the Plaza to indulge her love of disco dancing. In 1981, Kathie moved to Yakima, eventually settling in Selah with her daughters, to be closer to her family in Idaho. She worked many years on and off for Pinnells which helped develop her skill as a masterful salesperson. She was the ultimate people person, loved the cold calls, the closing, and everything about the art of the deal. She even had a special red dress shed wear just for closings. Among her sales positions, she worked for AT&T, Alliant Communications, and even commuted to California to work with Sharp Electronics for several years. She was a "tiger lady" in true 1980s fashion, complete with shoulder pads, pantsuits, and heels. Kathie made her last deal when she was 70 years old, then finally retired, where she spent time working on her beloved house, swimming, playing tennis, and becoming obsessed with pickleball. Kathie absolutely loved being a grandmother and had very special relationships with her five grandchildren. She hosted sleepovers and baked gingerbread cookies and could be seen at all the basketball games, soccer games, volleyball games you name it, and she was there, always seen with one her dogs sported at her side usually wearing a Gonzaga Bulldog t shirt. And everyone remembers making Grandma Kathies chicken soup, which will go on in legend and on hot spoons with the family forever. Grandma Kathie was known to all her grandchildrens friends and often adored for her quick wit, humor, and love for her family. Kathie was a tough, strong, and loving woman who really didnt take crap from people. You always knew where you stood with her, and you certainly knew where she stood. Her business sense is why she was able to remain so independent throughout her life. She handled many difficult situations with comedy and grace and lived life to the fullest. She was not afraid to take risks and pursue her dreams. The last two years of her life she reconnected with a lifelong friend from high school, Gerald Kennedy, traveling to Arizona and having many new experiences. Kathie is preceded in death by her mother and father. She is survived by her brother Wayne (Sano) Haldi and sister-in-law Hollis Haldi of Wallace, Idaho, daughter Shannon Morris and partner Will Palaukis of Selah, daughter Shelley and her husband Eric Desmarais of Yakima, grandsons Dylan and David McCorkindale, and granddaughters Claire, Lauren, and Vivienne Desmarais, in addition to countless cousins, nieces, and nephews that she adored. Thank you to the staff at Field Stone and Yakima Memorials Hospice Care for all the love and support shown to mom. Please join family and friends to celebrate Kathies life on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2:00-4:00pm at the Womens Century Club, 304 N 2nd St, Yakima, WA 98901. In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Memorial Foundation or the YWCA in her memory and send in care of Brookside Funeral Home, PO Box 1267, Moxee, WA 98936, who is caring for the family. Memories and condolences can be shared at www.brooksidefuneral.com. Celebration of Life Woman's Century Club Saturday, January 13, 2024 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM 304 N 2nd St Yakima, WA 98901