Kathleen Ann Pettit

Kathleen Ann Pettit (6/8/1952 - 7/23/2019) Kathleen (Kathy) Pettit has passed away in her home, after a tremendous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. She courageously endured a year of several exhaustive treatments and surgeries to stay with her beloved family. While her final struggle impacted her family greatly, her real impact was felt long before her illness was discovered. Her accepting heart and whimsical charm was a treasure and could be felt by anyone who was lucky enough to meet her. She took extra strides to ensure people felt welcome, loved, and special. Her kind spirit touched many lives over the years as she worked to ensure safety and care was provided to abused women and children. She was born in Sacramento, California to Herbert and Mary Jean Johnson on June 8, 1952. She graduated from LaSierra High School in 1969 and went on to receive a degree from American River College. She got married on August 28, 1971 and then moved to Colorado with the love of her life, Steve. After she moved to Colorado, she started her career in the mailroom of Petro-Lewis oil company and soon became Administrative Assistant to the president, a position she held for the next ten years. She took a break from the corporate world to start her family and had three boys; Jason Phillip in 1977, Brendon Lane in 1982, and Jonathan Walter in 1983. She was the President of the P.T.A. while her boys attended elementary school and was highly involved in implementing reading programs and was instrumental in helping the school to grow. She re-entered the workforce when she joined Family Tree, Inc. where she worked to provide safe environments for women in need as the Director of Grants Administration. She then moved on to her final professional role at Ralston House, where she helped grow a small organization of only three people into a much larger organization who law enforcement and human services turn to as the community resource when children are in crisis. Kathy was a loving wife, cherished sister, and amazing mother. She loved to dance and appeared in many productions at the Arvada Center. She also loved to write, garden, and cook. She delighted in creating a warm, loving environment to host her family and friends for various occasions. Her humor and laughter was the centerpiece of every meal and her gentle spirit was inspiring and genuine. She was an avid reader and especially loved to immerse herself into the magical world of Harry Potter. Kathy loved her family more than anything in this world. She loved to travel and was thrilled to venture to Indonesia for her son’s wedding. She took numerous trips to New York, Hawaii, Mexico, and California. She loved the imaginative world of Disney and visited Disneyland several dozen times in her lifetime. Survived by her tribe: husband and best friend Steven Pettit; sisters Lynn and Carol; sons Jason, Brendon, and Jonathan; daughter-in-laws Bonnie and Dhita; and many other relatives and close friends, including Azha and Weston. She loved her crew so very much. Please consider donating to Ralston House in memory of this amazing life. Her irrevocable absence will be felt by many for years and her legacy will continue to serve her community for generations to come. A memorial to celebrate the life of Kathy Pettit will be held at Arvada United Methodist Church at 6750 Carr Street on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 5:00 PM.