Kathleen Joyce (Hofkamp) Nienhuis

August 16, 1946 — February 18, 2019

Kathleen Joyce (Hofkamp) Nienhuis, age 72, Oak Harbor, Wash., passed away Feb. 18, 2019 at home in the arms of Eldred, her husband of 54 years. Born Aug. 16, 1946 in Worthington, Minn. She moved to Oak Harbor with her family in 1957 from their farm in Leota, Minn. 

Kathy was a breast cancer survivor and then died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. 

She graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1964 and married Eldred July 10, 1964. Their wedding was the first one held in the current First Reformed Church building.

Kathy was a very active lifetime member of First Reformed Church. You could generally find her in the kitchen cooking for church dinners, Holland Happening, or providing meals to church and community members in need. Anyone was welcomed into her home and she always had baked goods on the table. She especially loved children, and had an in-home daycare for many years. Several of the children and families in her daycare are still close family friends.

Most of all she loved her family and spent many summers camping at Baker Lake, Lake Curlew, and Lake Pearrygin.  

Kathy is survived by her husband, Eldred; brothers Ken, Keith, and Kevin Hofkamp and sister Patty Syreen; her children, Wendy (Randy) Pleasance, Nathaniel (Lanae) Nienhuis, Matthew (Elizabeth) Nienhuis, and Sarah Nienhuis; and the grandchildren that she loved the most, Emily (Jose), Meredith, Grant, John, Titus, Anika and Phoebe.

The family would like to thank WhidbeyHealth MAC nurses and WhidbeyHealth Hospice, nurses Jeremy and Luka, and Dr. Sanders for her end of life care.

Please direct any memorials to First Reformed Church-Children of the Promise orphanage in Haiti.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 at First Reformed Church, Oak Harbor.  Family and friends are encouraged to share memories and condolences at www.whidbeymemorial.com.