Catharine Victoria Goranson

Catharine Victoria Goranson passed peacefully on March 15th 2011 in Portland, Oregon surrounded by the love of family. She was born in Butte, Montana on August 9th, 1920 the daughter of John and Myrtle Cates. She attended high school in Portland and Walla Walla and later graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Business. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority. It is at Pullman where she met her future husband, Rune Ferdinand Goranson. After graduating she first lived in Chicago during the war, and later in Los Angeles and Seattle. She later settled in Edmonds went on to raise three children and later work at John L. Scott Realty as a sussful real estate saleswoman. Catharine was also a sussful horticulturist, winning multiple prizes for chrysanthemums. She and her husband were avid travelers together and visited over 100 countries in their adventures. Catharine was also dedicated to promoting education, and with her husband, provided scholarships to WSU female students annually as well as through PEO. She was additionally an active member of the Womens University Club and The Order of the Eastern Star. Catharine and Rune split their time between Edmonds and Maui and maintained active involvement with cultural organizations in the islands. Catharine was preceded in death by her husband, her son, John Goranson, her brother John Howard Cates and sister Margaret Cates. She is survived by her son, Eric E. Goranson, M.D. and her daughter Karen Goranson. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Anders, Eric, Linnea and Leif Goranson and her great-grandchildren, Oscar and Olive Goranson. Also with her during her last days were her daughter-in-law Susan Goranson and her granddaughter-in-law Lori Goranson.