Katherine Marinaro

Katherine (Kay) Marinaro, age 87, died on July 11, 2025, at her home in Albuquerque, NM, holding the hand of her husband and soulmate of over 64 years, Ed, and surrounded by family.

Kay was a talented watercolor painter with a life long passion for learning, appreciating, and practicing art. She especially loved to paint faces, capturing the essence of the expressions with masterful use of color and form.

Kay was born in Seattle, WA, on March 29, 1938, to Viola (Stevens) Barron and Ray Benson Pardo. She attended Potsdam State Teachers College and was a 5th grade teacher until she became a mother. Her children were undoubtedly the focus of her life, and when she wasn’t busy being a mom, she studied commercial art at the Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale and painting at both West Valley College and Mission College in the Bay Area. In her later years, she enjoyed taking workshops with her daughter, Kaaren.

Kay moved often as a child of a Navy officer and, after marrying, followed her husband’s career which took them to New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, and California. Kay had a great eye for good neighborhoods and exceptional homes. She used her unique talent to create warm and stylish homes for her family. In each new place, Kay would send her children into the neighborhood to recruit new friends and their parents, building lasting friendships.

Kay loved her family the most. She raised four children, and she loved to share in their lives. She was blessed with ten grandchildren, and she supported all of them with love, encouragement, and compassion.

Her rock was always her husband, Ed, whose love and companionship filled her days. After one double date previously, they reconnected in a snowstorm in Upstate New York. Both took refuge at an inn with their college friends, and this chance encounter started their life long romance.

Kay loved escaping to the Big Island of Hawaii and loved to dance with Ed in the sand to the music wafting down from the Mauna Kea.

Kay is survived by her husband, Edward L. Marinaro, her four children, their spouses, and grandchildren–Douglas and Lynn Marinaro, Kaaren (Marinaro) and Richard Marquez, Diana (Marinaro) and Stephen Johnson, and the Dr’s. Jonathan and Liz Marinaro. Her grandchildren are Jonathan Marinaro, Lauren (Marinaro) Reid, Jack Marquez, Casey Marquez, Jalen Marinaro, Nicolas Johnson, Ronan Johnson, Savannah Perry, Michael Rosenbaum, and Milton Rosenbaum.

Kay will be remembered for her beautiful spirit, kindness, and deep love. And her love of art, cookies and coffee.

In lieu of flowers, Kay’s family would appreciate donations to the Lewey Body Dementia Association (L.B.D.A.) https://www.lbda.org/

Services will be held at the Lima & Campagna Mortuary in Sunnyvale on July 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.