Obituary: Catherine Graves

Her father was asked to manage the Klindt orchard, moving the family to Parkdale, Oregon, in 1964. Cathy transferred to Wy’east High, where she met her future husband, Ron. She graduated from Wy’east in 1967 and moved to Portland, Oregon, with her friend Patty Sims, where she took some college classes and started working.

She married Ron Graves on April 30, 1970, at St. Mary’s Church in Hood River and began what many call the hardest job in the Navy, that of a Navy wife. A four-day honeymoon was spent traveling and finding a place to live, since Ron had to report in at the Marietta, Washington, Navy base May 5. They departed for a brief assignment to Vallejo, California, with newborn daughter Diana in January 1972. Cathy’s next adventure was Adak, Alaska, where she loved fishing with a catch every cast but disliked the frequent earthquakes. After moving to Seattle, Washington, in 1973, son Michael was born, and they bought their first house. While in Seattle, they bowled regularly and Cathy was the family bowling champion, winning many awards and trophies. In Seattle, she became a prolific, skilled artist with ceramics. In 1977, Cathy moved with her family to San Diego, California, where daughter Rebecca was born. Cathy and the whole family loved Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Gator Beach at Coronado was another favorite site. Cathy’s family lived at Murphy Canyon near the Padres stadium and attended many games. When Ron’s ship changed home port to Long Beach, the family moved to San Pedro, California. Cathy worked for the Navy Morale Welfare and Recreation Program. In 1980, the family moved to Monterey, California, where Cathy once again enjoyed bowling. She marveled at the large numbers of Monarch butterflies during their migration and loved taking her children and the neighborhood kids to the beach.

In December 1982, Cathy and her family began a fun drive toward Newport, Rhode Island. Cathy enjoyed the drive immensely. Highlights were seeing the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, the Lavender pit (open pit copper mine), Tombstone, Arizona, visiting a relative at Ft. Bliss, Texas, the Alamo, visiting a friend from Adak at Beaumont, Texas, and another from Monterey at Pensacola, Florida, a battleship in Alabama, and a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. While in Newport, Cathy enjoyed visiting historical sites in Plymouth and Salem, Massachusetts. She routinely walked the children to school, but really didn’t like it during blizzard conditions. Leaving Newport, Cathy’s family made a summer trip across the northern U.S. and spent a delightful night in Illinois watching the fireflies. Cathy enjoyed visiting family in Oregon before returning to San Diego.

Pacific Beach with a view of Mission Bay was their new home. Cathy kept the children active in sports and walked them to the nearby Kate Sessions School. In April 1987, the family was off to a new home at China Lake Naval Weapons Center in Ridgecrest, California. At the center, Cathy worked initially for the Morale Welfare and Recreation Department, then was hired for a federal position in the center’s Supply Department. Living in the Mojave Desert was quite a change from the coastal communities they had previously enjoyed. Cathy enjoyed visits to Death Valley and exploring Petroglyph Canyon on the base. Cathy went rock-hounding with husband Ron once in the desert and was having fun until a snake appeared. She related later that her legs started running automatically. She was fast!

Cathy was ready to get back home to Oregon so she could spend more time with her mother, so all returned to Oregon in August 1989, purchased a house Cathy liked in The Dalles and never (thankfully) moved again. Husband Ron retired from the Navy and rejoined her in December. Cathy worked in the Wasco County Assessor’s office for several years, then transferred to the County Clerk’s office, where she became the County Payroll Clerk and stayed in the position until retiring in 2008. Cathy was a member of St. Peter’s Choir and Altar Society for many years. She volunteered for community meals, preparing and serving meals monthly for 25 years. She also delivered food to people in the Meals on Wheels program weekly for 10 years.

Cathy, along with her husband, assumed guardianship for daughter Diana’s boys and helped raise those grandsons following Diana’s untimely death in 2009. Cathy cared deeply about people and regularly donated to charities that help children and disabled veterans.

Despite her snake encounter in the Mojave Desert, Cathy enjoyed rock-hounding with husband Ron and had memorable outings to Richardson Ranch for thunder eggs, Utah for trilobites, Nevada for opal, and many more. She also enjoyed occasional trips to Reno, Carson City, and particularly old Virginia City, Nevada. Cathy had great fun visiting the local casinos with husband Ron, often taking her mother or an aunt. She laughed when one of her grandsons gave her a sign: If Grandma is missing, check the casino!

Catherine is survived by her husband Ron Graves; son Michael Graves and his wife Jenilou, and daughter Rebecca Tobias; grandchildren Aaron Graves, Alex Avila Graves, Shannen Tobias, Adrian Avila Graves, Jacob Graves, and Ava Graves; six great-grandchildren; siblings Jean Hockman, Bill Jones and wife Cindy, Helen Young and husband Creighton, Patty Hedges and husband Del, Susan Hedges and husband Doug; sister-in-law Sharon Owen and her husband Mitch; 16 nieces and nephews; and 30 cousins. She was predeceased by her father Myrl Jones in 1984, daughter Diana Graves in 2009, and mother Mary Jones in 2012.

A funeral Mass was held at St. Peter’s Church The Dalles on Aug. 26, followed by graveside services.

Columbia Gorge News, Sept. 9, 2026