Obituary of Catherine Klix Stratton

Catherine (Kay) Stratton, 83, of Portland, Oregon passed away peacefully after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Kay was born in Syracuse, New York and attended Saint Anthony’s School. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1953 and completed training at Lackland AFB in Texas before being assigned to McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. At McChord she met her future husband, Donald Stratton, also in the Air Force. They married in 1955 and returned to Syracuse where the first of their five children was born in 1956. Don remained in the Air Force in Syracuse and then moved the family to Sacramento, CA, Honolulu, HI, Panama City, FL, Wilmington, NC, and finally back to Syracuse before retirement. Kay and Don welcomed Susan in 1956, Donna in 1957, Laurie in 1959, Brad in 1960, and Paula in 1962. Kay devoted her time to her children in the elementary school years and later had a long career with Sears, ending at the Fairmont Fair Sears store before retirement. In retirement Kay and Don enjoyed going to estate sales, collecting art and antiques for themselves and for resale. They also enjoyed some memorable trips to England and Austria where Kay achieved her dream of dancing a waltz to live music in Vienna. Kay was fondly known as someone who: loved to be around family; could not tell a lie; was a great seamstress; was an accomplished pianist; was a perfectionist when it came to a clean house; loved her coffee and crossword puzzles; was an avid reader; and enjoyed Wheel of Fortune. Prior to her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Kay survived both breast and lung cancer. In 2015 after Don passed and as her children were leaving Syracuse, Susan brought her to Portland, Oregon where she and Paula both resided. Kay was preceded in death by her husband Donald Stratton, her parents Robert and Susanna Klix, and her daughter Donna Marie Stratton. She is survived by her children: Susan Stratton and spouse Chris Gilmore; Laura Ranger and spouse Walter Ranger; Donald Bradley Stratton Jr. and spouse Janie Stratton; and Paula Franklin and spouse James Franklin. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren: Connor Gilmore, Stratton Gilmore, Stephen Ranger, Andrew Ranger, Amanda Harris, Aria Harris, Audrey Harris, Pamela Lampert, Logan Lampert, Lauren Lampert, Nicole Stratton, Jason Franklin, and Marcus Franklin. She is also survived by her sister Paula Miller and her brother James Klix. Kay will be celebrated by her family in Syracuse at a later date when she is buried in the VA cemetery next to her husband of 58 years and her daughter Donna who was also an Air Force veteran.