Beloved Matriarch, Catherine Lorraine O’Brien (Lackie) of Bonney Lake, WA passed away on April 21st, 2026 at the age of 77. She was born on June 8th, 1948 to her loving parents Sylvia Ann Lackie and Hugh Terrance Lackie in Renton, WA where she grew up and graduated from Renton Senior High School in 1966. A resident of Brymawr, Catherine maintained strong ties to friendships in her hometown and was widely known for her infectious smile and thoughtful, generous heart. A true Gemini endearingly nicknamed “Chatty Cathy,” she often couldn’t walk down the street without starting up a conversation with a stranger or running into an old friend. After having her first child at 19 with her husband Mike, they explored the midwest/south together, living in a succession of states: Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Nebraska and Illinois, where she navigated and adapted to different environments and cultural norms while maintaining a beautiful home and raising her three children. They moved back to Washington in 1997, where Catherine expressed she always felt most at home.

Catherine loved connecting with the public, and excelled in a variety of jobs in retail sales before retiring from Naturalizer in 2010. She continued to keep busy in her involvement with her grandchildren, whom she would proudly cheer on as she could be found among the crowd of every possible performance, sports, or award show that she could attend. A staple member of her community, her absence will be somberly felt and missed.

Catherine loved to keep her hands busy, whether through gardening and baking, or holding the people she loved — and the messes that life guarantees them. A devoted caretaker who took great pride in raising her family, she often talked about how she loved to watch things grow.

Her personal philosophy was one of living in the moment, and always preached to “treat life as a gift, because that’s why it’s called the present.”

A second generation Irish immigrant, Catherine felt great pride in researching her family’s heritage, and was elated to visit her home country for the first time in 2023.
When Irish Catholic JFK became President in 1960, it rocked 12 year old Cathy’s world; an impact that only slightly faded with age.

Sparking a love for social justice and Space, Catherine held a deep fascination for the universe and world around her; she cared deeply for her family, community, and future generations. Growing up during the era of the Space Race, Catherine found renewed hope and excitement following the events of the Artemis II Mission. She spent her life looking towards the stars, and has now found her place among them.

Catherine left this world with her bed made, on a warm spring night after admiring the citrus colored sunset. A single pink tulip stood in her garden.

Catherine is predeceased by her parents; her brother Mike, sister Patricia, and her brother in-law, Galen.

Cathy is survived by her husband of 59 years, Mike; her children, Erica, Aaron and Sara; her grandchildren, Riley, Mia and Finn; her brother, Hugh; alongside many loving relatives, friends and neighbors.

In place of a funeral service, Catherine’s wishes are for her family to gather at her favorite Washington beach, Moclips, to spread her ashes, which the family plans to fulfill this June.