It is with great sadness and love that we announce the passing of our dear friend Catherine “Kati” Donohue on February 16th, 2024. Kati’s death is a loss to all of us. She had a huge personality and an even bigger heart. She loved to be with people and was quite an adventurist who lived life loud like few do. She was born Nov 6, 1953, in North Vancouver, BC, Canada; one of five. After graduating from Delbrook High, she left home for Paris and started living her dream of travel and adventure. By the time Kati was 20, she had become fluent in French, extensively toured Europe and was living in Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France. She became an au pair for an affluent family, splitting time between Aix-en-Provence and Morocco, North Africa.

She eventually returned to Canada, but Hawaii was calling, and she moved to the Island of Kauai. At that time, Howard Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor's brother, owned a gorgeous strip of oceanfront property on the Napali Coast. He offered residency on the land to a group of surfers, hippies and Vietnam vets who set up Taylor's camp. They grew their own food and built a water system and environmentally friendly housing. Kati lived there in a treehouse, studying Hawaiian healing herbs and medicinals. She fondly remembers playing flute with Carol King a few times. (There is a movie about Taylor's camp that you may enjoy.)

From Kauai she took a job in Perth, Australia where she worked as a cook on a prawn trawler. She later moved to Sydney with a friend and became a massage therapist, and apparently quite a good one because she was a masseuse to many of the elite yachties who raced the American Cup. Eventually she moved back to Hawaii to the Big Island and studied real estate. She was quite successful in timeshare sales and met the love of her life in Hawaii. They traveled the world together on numerous ski trips and dive trips to remote places in Mexico, the Caribbean and Asia. At one point, they were kidnapped by deckhands who organized a mutiny which was short-lived as we watched on the 6 o'clock news that somehow her friends had overpowered the would-be kidnappers who were arrested.

Kati was an avid open ocean swimmer. She adopted a German Shepherd from the humane society, and until Dillion died, he was her constant companion, swimming with Kati to the 1.2 mile marker in Kailua Bay. The Huffington Post ran an article about "Dillon the Wonder Water Dog ''. Kati was also a personal shopper, and it was not unusual to see Dillon (wearing his goggles) cruising with Kati in her old BMW convertible as she made deliveries. In 2017 Kati and her dog were in a horrific accident involving an elevator. Kati was hospitalized for months while her face was rebuilt, and her bones healed. Kati bravely never gave up against the unrelenting suffering, while constantly searching for a way to stop the pain. The same courage and determination she exhibited throughout her life kept her going. Kati was known for never mincing words but also for her kindness and generosity. She would often buy meals for families in need or leave a sizable amount of cash towards the grocery bill to the surprise of many when they reached the counter. Kati lived in and operated a popular Kailua-Kona oceanfront vacation rental until her death. In accordance with her wishes and to the delight of many who enjoyed their stays, Kati’s legacy has been passed to friends who will continue sharing this enchanting destination and home that was so special to Kati.

Kati was predeceased by her parents Robert and Jean, her brother Michael, and her partner, Dean Hall. She will be deeply missed by her extended family, twin brother Craig (Gail), their children Blair, Clayton, Derek (Olivia) and Julia, her older sister Dianne, her children, Rebecca (Dylan), Allyse and Danielle, her eldest half-brother Peter and his children, Ramona, Simon, Oliver, Joey, and Sam, and her many close friends.

A hui hou to our dear Kati.

A celebration of life and memorial service will be held at her home on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 1:00 pm.

Donations in Kati’s memory may be made to The Ocean Foundation at https://oceanfdn.org

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