Kathleen D. Prakken

Kathleen Diane Howery Obituary(05/16/1949 - 08/23/2024 )Kathleen was born on May 16, 1949 in Marshall, Missouri to Robert Howery and Marian JeanneCox. She was their second child joining her brother James. They were joined later by sister,Barbara.They moved to Portland Oregon while she was a young child. She grew up and attended DavidDouglas High School, graduating in June 1967. While in high school, there were severalKathleens in her classes, so she began to use a nickname, Kathee.Between 1967 and 1968 she attended Portland State University. She married her high schoolboyfriend, Randy Prakken, on September 7, 1968 and they moved to Boston Massachusetts inOctober so that Randy could attend MIT. While living in Boston, she worked as a DocumentationSpecialist for MIT between 1968 and 1975. In 1971 she and Randy adopted Garrick RobertPrakken as a baby.In 1972 they moved to Southern California so that Randy could accept a position with HughesAerospace. Between 1974 and 1979 Kathee Worked as a Data and Fiscal Specialist for theUniversity of Southern California. She and Randy divorced in July 1975.In 1979 Kathee moved back to Portland Oregon and worked between 1979 and 1982for NW Regional Education Laboratory as the Management Assistant to the Associate Director.In 1981, Kathee attended night and weekend classes at City University in Portland Oregon whileworking full time for the NW Regional Education Laboratory. She had many classes with TerryThompson.They started seeing each other after school, but instead of dating, they got togetherand studied. Kathee and Terry married on April 1, 1983 in Vancouver Washington. Katheegraduated in 1982 with her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from City University. .Between 1983 and 1984, Kathee began working on her Masters Degree in BusinessManagement, attending the Atkinson School of Management at Willamette University. Between1983 and 1984, she also worked as an Accountant and Financial Analyst for Bonneville PowerAdministration while she was going to graduate school. She graduated with a Masters ofManagement Degree in 1984.After her graduation Kathee took a job with the Vancouver Housing Authority as an Accountantand Data Analyst from 1984 to 1985. She then returned to working at the NW RegionalEducation Laboratory as a Management Specialist between 1985-1991.Krista Alexandra Prakken-Thompson was born at Providence Medical Center in PortlandOregon on March 14, 1987. Later in 1987, Kathee was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.In 1991, she moved to Kaneohe Hawaii. Kathee had a four year contract to help set-up thePacific Regional Education Laboratory, a non-profit in Honolulu Hawaii. She worked as theDirector of Finance and Administration from 1991 to 1994. While working there, RyanChristopher Thompson was born at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center in HonoluluHawaii on January 6, 1993. She moved back to the Pacific NW in 1994 to be closer to family. From 1994 to 1996, Katheetook a job as the Director of Finance and Administration for Loaves and Fishes in PortlandOregon. In 1996 she was hired as the Corporate Controller at NW Regional EducationLaboratory working there until 2009 when medical disability forced her to retire.Her mother, Jeanne Howery died while in surgery for a heart problem in April, 1988. Herfather, Robert Howery died from a stroke in March, 1997. Her older brother James Howerydied from long term medical issues in November, 2018. Kathee dealt with issues from herMultiple Sclerosis for 37 years and passed away in her sleep at Legacy Salmon Creek MedicalCenter on August 23, 2024.Kathee is survived by her husband, Terry, her son Garrick Prakken, daughter Krista Lasher, andson Ryan Thompson. We would like to thank the caregivers from Providence Home Health, thenurses, doctors and staff from Legacy Salmon Creek, and our primary care doctor for over 40years, Dr Robert Wells for their care and treatment of Kathee.

Kathleen D. Prakken

May 16, 1949 - August 23, 2024