Kathryn Anne Power

Kathryn "Kathi" Anne (Barnes) Power passed away peacefully in her bed on January 18, 2024, at the age of 73. Kathi was a 50-year resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, and a wonderful mother, sister, and grandmother.

She was born in Berkley, California in 1950 to Wilbur & Kathryn G. Barnes. The family moved to a beautiful ranch home in Menlo Park, California when Kathi was a young girl. There she enjoyed family time at the backyard pool, raising and showing the family's pet dachshunds, participating in Brownies and Girl Scouts, trips into San Francisco with her father on the train, and summers at Shady Lawn Farm, a horse camp she and her older sister, Susi, attended each summer. As a teenager, Kathi enjoyed the new "Hippie" scene of San Francisco and was particularly enamored of the brand new dark blue VW bug she received as a graduation gift. Kathi attended Woodside High School, in Woodside, California, where she graduated in 1968.

Kathi met her future husband, Michael Power, in 1965, as a sophomore in high school. They were married at the Barnes family home in Menlo Park in June 1974 and shortly after decided to move to Colorado to join Mike's sister and brother-in-law, Jim and Jan Gulley, who were attending CSU. The couple settled in Fort Collins and they built a home in Laporte, Colorado, doing most of the construction by themselves. In 1980, they welcomed their first daughter, Amelia Elizabeth Power, and were equally thrilled when their second daughter, Lindsey Jean Power, was born in 1984. The couple divorced in 1989 and Kathi raised her daughters as a single mother, leading Brownie troops at Cache La Poudre Elementary and enrolling them in many dance lessons and gymnastics at Mountain Center. Eventually, Kathi built a home in south Fort Collins and was part of a close knit group of neighbors on Stream Court for nearly two decades.

Kathi had several interesting careers in her lifetime. She was a waitress at a retirement home in high school and was a switchboard operator for Pacific Bell. She loved to tell the stories of "party lines" and the heavy headset she would have to wear. After moving to Colorado, she worked at Super Vac in Loveland and then became the office administrator for the Presbytery of Plains & Peaks, where she worked for over a decade. Once that office moved to Greeley, Kathi became the church secretary for Harmony Presbyterian Church, where she worked for over 20 years, until she retired in 2016. Kathi and her daughters were a special part of Harmony and formed many lasting friendships there.

Kathi spent many years as a volunteer at the Ten Thousand Villages shop in Old Town Fort Collins and her family and friends would certainly have received many gifts she lovingly bought from the store to support its mission. Kathi loved to celebrate birthdays and holidays, but particularly loved Christmas and made every year bright and special for her family. Kathi was an avid gardener and loved flowers. You could often find her digging in the dirt in her backyard and watching bees, birds, and squirrels with great delight. After retirement, Kathi moved to live next door to her daughter Lindsey, and would create a paradise of plants and flowers on her deck each summer. She also drove to Denver often to visit her daughter Amelia and son-in-law Drew, as well as her beloved grandchildren, Meyer and Evelyn.

Kathi was a true light in so many lives and her kindness and her thoughtfulness will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. Her witty sense of humor made her a true joy to be around. Her departure has left a huge hole in the hearts of all who loved her. A celebration of life will be held by her daughters this summer in Ft Collins, date still to be determined.

Kathi is survived by her daughters Amelia (Drew), Lindsey, her grandchildren Meyer and Evelyn, and her sister, Susi Faville, of Hayden, Idaho.