Kathleen Wooster Elmblad, age 65, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2017 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, while in the presence of family and close friends.
Born on November 7, 1951, at Sloan Hospital for Women in New York City, she was the daughter of Robert B. and Kathleen (Spence) Wooster. Kathy, as she was called, was raised in Harrison, and attended Rye Country Day School.
A highlight of her youth was attending the 1965 Beatles’ concert at Shea Stadium; it exemplified a love for music that spanned and influenced her entire life, from the British invasion to supporting the local KAFM station in Grand Junction.
In 1975, she moved west to the mountains of Colorado, which had been calling her for years. She settled in Steamboat Springs, working several jobs each day in order to enjoy the outdoors and all the activities the mountains offered, from hiking and camping, to skiing the snowy slopes.
It was in Steamboat that she met her future husband, Bill Elmbad, and while Kathy had been active in the protests of the Vietnam War, she found a lifelong partner in this free-spirited Vietnam vet, who joked that she had started protesting too late. Together they moved first to Boston, and then to Juneau, Alaska to pursue Bill’s career as a fisheries biologist.
They wed in 1981 and moved to Grand Junction in 1982, where they raised their family on a small farm with a horse she could ride, a dream of Kathy’s since her childhood. It was also where they became part of a large community of close friends in which their family thrived and that provided love and support through the years, something Kathy treasured deeply.
Kathy, “Kath” to her friends, will be remembered for the spirit in her step and the sparkle in her voice. She was always planning and doing something, and her husband literally had to stay out of her way to avoid being bowled over as she ran around. Many of her girlfriends thought of her as a sister because of their close relationship.
Her most fulfilling role was mother. She was an amazing and loving mother to her daughters, and a second mother to many of their friends. Kathy touched many lives through the years and will be deeply missed, but forever remembered by family and friends.
She is survived by her husband, Bill; her daughters, Denise (and her husband Rick), Christina (and her husband Rob), and Ashley; and three wonderful grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister, Edith Read Wey, of Purchase, and her parents.
A memorial and celebration of life will be held at a later date. Donations in Kathy Elmblad’s memory may be made to KAFM (www.kafmradio.org), 1310 Ute Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501.
