Kathleen Sue Kittleson McCartney

Kathleen Sue Kittleson McCartney, 74, passed away June 29, 2024, of natural causes at the Pete Moore Hospice House, Eugene, Ore. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Joice Community Center  Joice, Iowa, Saturday, Aug. 24, from 2-4 p.m. The family will hold a private burial. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorials be made to Casting for Recovery at www.castingforrecovery.org or Concordia Cemetery, Joice.
Kathy was born Oct. 8, 1949, in Forest City to Orin Kittleson and Senoma (Bang) Kittleson. Kathy graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1967 and went on to work at K-Mart as their advertising layout artist for the local paper. She also worked for AC Nielson’s for a period of time and at Principal Financial Group.
She met the love of her life, Thomas M. McCartney, when she attended a high school reunion at the Surf in Clear Lake.
They were married near the Oregon Coast, July 23, 1988. Together, they worked at their business, McCartney Tree Surgery. They both loved fly fishing at various Oregon rivers and lakes and took special trips to Belize, North and South New Zealand, Alaska, Canada, and the Caribbean.
During this time, Kathy volunteered as an instructor for Casting for Recovery, an organization that enhances the lives of survivors and thrivers of breast cancer using the therapeutic sport of fly fishing. She also volunteered delivering meals on wheels to local Eugene residents. Kathy was also an accomplished artist—painting and woodcarving were her favorites.
She will be greatly missed by her siblings: Diana (Tom) Fischer, Gloria Kearney, and Ken (Janet) Kittleson. She loved being an aunt and was the best aunt ever to niece, Tamara Duncan; and nephews: Devin Fischer, Richard (Joni) Miller, and Jared (Melissa) Kearney. Also surviving Kathy are several great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom; both of her parents; and her brother-in-law, Larry Kearney.