Kay was born on April 22, 1924, the oldest child of Theodore (Ted) Lee and Phyllis James (a child of the James Seed Company family). She and George Catlin married in 1948, living first on Salt Spring Island, moving to Prince George to care for George’s dying father, then to Vancouver in 1953 – and back to Salt Spring in 1976. Kay and George had 3 children: Shawn, born on Salt Spring Island, and twins Pat and Mike, born in Prince George.

Back on Salt Spring, they bought a house in Fulford Harbour, just up the hill from Patterson’s store. It was originally built as a schoolhouse and had also been the venue for boxing matches. Kay was proud to be known as the unofficial Fulford parking police, placing notes under the windshield of cars parked where they shouldn’t be – like in front of the gas pumps at the store!

Kay had many talents: she painted with oils and pastels; she sculpted in jade and soapstone (seals, dolphins, walruses, owls, loons and ducks); produced handmade “Bear Facts” greeting cards, hand painted platters; and her soft sculptures included stuffed animals made from fur coats and her “B.C. Fairy Dolls”. She sold at the Farmers Market, Beaver Point Hall Christmas Craft Fair (where in 1984 her gingerbread house – wired with lights visible through the windows and completely edible – was raffled to raise money for the Hall) and various other community venues through the years.

Kay exhibited on her own and with other artists at the Kenton House Gallery in the late 1970’s, and she and her son Michael held an exhibit together in 1995 at the 100,000 Welcomes Gallery in Fulford Village.

Kay died on September 4, 2005.

203.jpg Kay1.jpg Kay3.jpg Kay4.jpg KayWedding.jpg Pat-and-Mike.jpg v18n44Nov2-1977p112.jpg v18n45Nov9-1977p107.jpg v18n47Nov23-1977p212a.jpg v18n47Nov23-1977p212b.jpg v20n16April18p2-197902.jpg zKayCatlin.jpg A12Catlin.jpg