Kathy (Stensaa) Powell, Feb. 7th, 1951 - Sept. 25th, 2025

Kathleen "Kathy" May Stensaa, born in Mount Vernon, WA, February 7th, 1951, to Ben and Nettie Stensaa, passed away surrounded by her children after a brief & sudden illness on the evening of September 25th, 2025.

She was the youngest of 5 children and raised on her parents' dairy farm in Stanwood. As a child, she learned to sew clothing for her dolls, painted china as well as oil paintings on canvas, and occasionally she would put coins on the train tracks next to her house watching them get flattened as the cars made their way to and from the cannery behind the property. She later attended Auburn Academy.

Kathy married David Powell on September 23rd, 1977. Their daughter Jennifer was born November 14th, 1982 in Houston, Texas; followed by their son Tristan, born September 11th, 1985 in Los Angeles, California. In 1990 they returned home to Washington State where they designed and built their forever home in Burlington.

Kathy was a selfless and generous person who found joy in caring for others which included both people and animals. She was known as the neighborhood "cat lady" but at times, this also included dogs, squirrels, and birds. In recent years, she donated her time and energy to supporting the local food bank because she believed that everyone deserved warm clothing on their backs and food in their bellies. She even found joy in simple acts of service such as returning shopping carts at Fred Meyer - proudly sharing on her seventy-fourth birthday that she had collected seventy-four carts. She loved rooting on her local sports teams, especially the Seattle Mariners. Those who knew her will remember her warmth, welcoming spirit and her homemade pizza on Friday nights.

Kathy is survived by her children, Jennifer (Matt Zylstra), and Tristan (Jodi Peña); grandchildren Brayden & Wyatt Zylstra; sister Eileen (Kelly Christenson); and several cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, David Powell; her parents Ben & Nettie Stensaa; her sisters Bonnie Palaniuk, Marie Perard, a half sister Carmen Knudtson; and her brother Raymond Stensaa.

A graveside service will be held in the Colfax Cemetery on Saturday, October 11th at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts be made to their local food bank or humane society. On-line guest book is at www.corbeillfuneralhomes.com Corbeill Funeral Home in Colfax, Washington is caring for the family.