Kathryn Mae (Taylor) Salinas

Kathryn Mae (Taylor) Salinas, 72, passed away on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at the Kindred Hospital in Seattle following an extended illness. A celebration of her life is planned for later this spring with details to be announced.

Kathy was born on December 16, 1951 in Roseburg, Oregon to Everett & Dorothy (Boone) Jones.  Her dad was a rancher, so the family moved frequently during her childhood until moving to Ellensburg where Kathy graduated from Ellensburg High School in 1970.

Following graduation, Kathy worked as a pie baker for many Upper County restaurants including The Cottage, The Sunset and Cavallini's, just to name a few.  It was during this time that Kathy and her first husband adopted their son, Curtis, and Kathy stayed at home to care for him until he got older, when she then went to work as a childcare provider.

Kathy met the love of her life, Raymond Salinas, through an online dating platform in 2003 – long before such websites were really mainstream.  The two hit it off and were married on August 6, 2004 and Kathy moved to Sandpoint to be with Ray. Following Ray’s retirement a couple years after their marriage, the couple split their time between Sandpoint and Ellensburg, spending lots of time together traveling and exploring many parts of Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Kathy was a very avid gardener – she loved her flower gardens!  She also enjoyed fishing as well as going to the casino with friends to play bingo. Her family will remember her fondly for her culinary skills – with her cheesecake and fruit pies being some of her best creations. She loved every minute she was able to spend with her family and her grandson.

Kathy is survived by her husband Ray of Union Gap; son Curtis (Toni) Taylor and grandson Ryan, of Ellensburg; and sister Starlet Crawford of Dayton, WA.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Dallas Ackers.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg. Online condolences may be left at www.johnston-williams.com