Kathy Cotten lost her two year battle with Guillain-Barre Syndrome on February 6th. She was born in Port Angeles, Washington and grew up at Lake Crescent. At age five she started back packing in the Olympic Mountains, an activity she continued passionately for the rest of her life.

Kathy built and lived on a 28 ft boat designed by her brother Patrick Cotten. She moved to Lopez Island in 1984, where she met her husband Tom Anderson. She was the bar manager at the Galley for several years.

She and Tom had a construction business, which they continued, when they moved to Concrete and built the house of their dreams on five acres with a stream. They lived just off highway 20 at the gateway to the North Cascades Wilderness Area, where they back packed thousands of miles. Kathy was never happier than fishing in a mountain stream, plunging into an ice cold lake or soaking in a hot spring.

Kathy lost her husband eight years ago. She is survived by her brother Patrick Cotten, sister Jacquelyn Ashe, sister Sandra Wright, friends and a large extended family.

According to Kathy’s wishes, we are not having a memorial service.