Katharine “Katie” Stetson Lemaire, 72, of Woodland, CA, died peacefully November 3, 2024, surrounded by family after a long battle with cancer.
Born in Oakland, CA, Katie was the daughter of the late Captain Thomas H. Stetson and Barbara (McElroy) Stetson.
Her father being an aviator in the Navy, the family zigzagged across the U.S. in her younger years—California, Hawaii, Alabama, Florida and Virginia. The family eventually settled in Newport, Rhode Island, where her father retired as the Secretary of the Naval War College.
She is survived by her loving son Matthew Lemaire, his wife Jennifer Lemaire, and grandsons Stetson and Fox of Grass Valley, CA; and daughter Brielle (Morgan) Neilson, her husband Logan Neilson, and granddaughters Stella and Simone of San Francisco. She also leaves behind her loving sister Mary (Stetson) Hebert of Worcester, MA, nephew Ben Hebert, nieces Katy (Hebert) England and Molly Hebert, sister-in-law Claudia Sharon, niece Rebecca Stetson. She is predeceased by her beloved sister Eleanor Linda Stetson of New York City and John H. Stetson of Newport, RI.
Smart but feisty, Katie dropped out of high school and later earned her GED. She called Newport home until 1982, when she and her boyfriend Michael Lemaire moved to Woodland, married and made a new life with Matt. She was a mail carrier for 33 years, before retiring in 2016. At the age of 61, she was reunited with her daughter Brielle, who was adopted at birth. Their bond was immediate. Being with her children and grandchildren brought her immense joy.
Katie lit up the room with her bright smile and cackling laugh. A fabulous storyteller, she was comfortable with anyone and everyone—regaling old, young, rich, poor, the straight up, and the far out with tales of everything from rock shows in her misspent youth to the most delicious cookie she ate during last night’s TV binge. She made a trip to the bathroom the funniest story you’d ever heard.
Music, art, movies, reading, traveling, and comedy were among her passions. Friends came easy to Katie—whether it was her many neighbors, the Woodland post office crew, or Friends of Bill. Being of service was important to Katie—she worked tirelessly to help others struggling with addiction and was helped by others in return. She made a major impact on many people’s lives, helping to bring light to their darkest moments.
She fought her cancer with grace and grit. Neither retreating nor resigning—just accepting. Hilarious, smart, selfless, positive, honest, kind, beautiful, direct, loyal, generous—these are just a few of the words that became the continued refrain of friends and family upon the news of her death. And now we add “forever missed” to the list.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the AmericanCancerSocietybyvisitinghttps://raiseyourway.donordr ive.com/campaign/Katharine-Lemaire-Memorial. A Celebration of Life will be held January 18 at noon at the Elks Lodge, 500 Bush St, Woodland.