Kathy Ann (High) Peterson returned to the arms of Jesus, her Lord and Savior, on Sunday morning, August 31, 2025 at her home in Dallas, Texas while in the arms of her husband, Doug. Kathy had fought a seven-month battle with stage 3C ovarian cancer undergoing seven rounds of chemotherapy. Kathy’s remains were donated to the UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Willed Body Program for research and education according to her wishes.

A public Memorial Service will be held Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 1pm in the Chapel at The Heights Baptist Church, 201 W Renner Rd, Richardson, TX 75080. Upon the return of her cremains, a private inurnment service for family and friends will be scheduled at the Plano Mutual Cemetery in Plano, Texas.

Kathy Ann High was born on November 7, 1961 at Garland Hospital, Garland, Texas to the late Melvin Francis High and the late Hazel Francine Taylor High (aka Francine), the second of three children. Kathy lived in Dallas all her life except for college and a few months after marriage in McKinney, Texas. Kathy attended Spring Valley Elementary, Northwood Junior High School and Richardson High School graduating in 1980. She attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas for a year before returning to Dallas and enrolling at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas earning an associate’s degree in Jewelry Technology in December 1982.

Following college, Kathy worked at her family’s jewelry store, Aurum Jewelry, in Richardson from 1982 through June of 1990. From 1990 through 1998 she worked as a bench jeweler at several companies including PMI, Prime Art and Jewels and at Fast Fix Jewelry and Watch Repair. She took a break from full time work in 1998 after the birth of her twins to stay at home and raise her family. During this time, she worked performing custom jewelry repair and stone setting in her home-based jewelry workshop. In 2008 she returned to work full time at Fast Fix Jewelry and Watch Repair once her children were in school. She continued working there in various positions including bench jeweler, assistant store manager and store manager at both the Collin Creek and Stonebriar Mall stores until June 2022. She then began working at Pampillonia Jewelers in Richardson. In March 2023 she began working at Griffin Jewelry in McKinney. She continued working there until her cancer diagnosis. In March 2025 she ended her professional career taking Social Security early retirement.

Kathy had been a member of Spring Valley Baptist Church since childhood. In 1996, Kathy was introduced to Doug Peterson by two of her best friends, Teri Long and Gayla Amaral, who were by then members at First Baptist Church, Plano. The singles groups at both churches would combine for social outings and events. By 1997, Kathy and Doug were engaged and later married at Spring Valley Baptist Church on January 31, 1998. Doug’s father, the late Dr. Arnold Allen Peterson (pastor, professor and former Southern Baptist Missionary to South Korea) performed the wedding.

Kathy is remembered by all who knew her for her kindness and loving spirit, her sense of humor and her ability to speak the truth in love when you needed to hear it most. In addition to her talent and skill repairing jewelry she was very skilled and creative in the area of cake decorating, making candies and chocolate covered strawberries and other treats. She also loved helping make costumes and designing sets for her church children’s program musical and drama productions at both Spring Valley/Park Central Baptist Church and at The Heights Baptist Church.

Kathy is survived by her Husband of 27 years, Douglas Carlisle Peterson and their twins, Sarah Elizabeth Peterson and Kenneth James Peterson of Dallas. She is also survived by her sister, Alicia Nan High Meeks McDonnald (Hugh McDonnald) of Dallas and her brother James Beryl High (Gary Kramer) of Nice France; her mother-in-law, Barbara Dee Warren Peterson of Dallas, brothers-in-law Brant Peterson (Pam Peterson) of Liberty, Missouri and Christopher Peterson of Dallas; nieces Kailyn Peterson and Aubrey Peterson of the Kansas City Missouri area; nephews Tobyas Meeks, Thadeus High (Julie High) and Trystan Meeks of the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as grand-nieces Taylor High, Savanah High and Grayson Lough, and grand-nephews Tobyas, Jr Meeks and Phineas Meeks. She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family members, as well as many beloved friends from throughout her lifetime.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to The Heights Baptist Church Worship Children’s Designated fund by mailing a check to The Heights Church, 201 W Renner Rd, Richardson, TX 75080 or online at https://www.theheights.org/gi… then click One Time giving and from the drop-down box select Worship Children’s Designated.  

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