Sad news re: Catherine Van Horn

On a sad note, Cathy Van Horn, who was the State's lead person overseeing the LNG issue for the State and the Oregon Department of Energy, passed away suddenly .  She leaves behind a husband and an eight year old daughter.  This is a tremendous loss.  She was very knowledgeable on the LNG issue and would have made sure things were thoroughly analysed. Although we did not always agree on issues, we respected and admired her honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

We will miss her.

Catherine L. Van Horn

July 25, 1961 - September 15, 2006

SALEM – Cathy's biggest joy was playing with and planning events for her daughter and the children at McKinley Elementary School. She had the gift of taking a grand vision and bringing it to life for everyone. In her "spare time", she loved to tend her garden and enjoyed more crafting hobbies than could be fit in this column. Cathy was very proud of her Cherokee and Creek Indian heritage, and of the many places she lived during her life, was probably closest to home in Hawaii, where she had a deep and wonderful bond with the Hawaiian people and their culture.

Cathy spent several years writing and editing for newspapers and magazines before returning to school for a Ph.D. in Communications at the University of Washington. She taught journalism as a college professor in Hawaii and Iowa, and most recently worked as an analyst for the Oregon Office of Energy.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Wayne Parker and daughter, Gillian both of Salem; brother, Scott of Sacramento; sister, Amy of Medford; stepfather, Jack Rowbotham of Wilsonville; and will be missed by more friends than she could have imagined.

Memories of Cathy can be shared at 3:30 p.m., Fri., Sept. 22, at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the McKinley Parent-Teacher Club.