Kathy M. Ormiston

Love letter to Davis

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I love my colorful ranch house near UC Davis in a neighborhood full of smart, down to earth and caring neighbors.

Kathy Ormiston died of a highly aggressive uterine sarcoma on September 5, 2026 at age 65. The cancer was diagnosed in December and removed in January by a highly competent Kaiser surgeon. By March the sarcoma had spread to her back and was causing constant, extreme pain. Kathy is grateful to California and Kaiser for giving her the option to end her life on her own terms.

Instead of an obituary, Kathy has chosen to write a love letter to Davis.

Dear Davis,

I have lived in so many places in my life —suburban Indianapolis, rural Idaho, powerful Washington, DC, beautiful Guadalajara, Mexico, and smart brilliant Silicon Valley. But of all these places, dear Davis, I loved you the most.

I love my colorful ranch house near UC Davis in a neighborhood full of smart, down to earth and caring neighbors. Thank you Annette Parker and Marylee Hardie: you were the glue that held us together. I love Redwood Park: the five playground structures and the field where dogs can play and run. Thank you to the school board members who listened to our concerns about fencing and the multipurpose room. The neighborhood still feels very connected to the park.

I want to give Susan Linz a very special thank you for organizing our Friday night Girl Scout sing-alongs during Covid. Those little gatherings made all of us feel less lonely and more connected.

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Those little gatherings made all of us feel less lonely and more connected.

Over the last couple months so many friends and neighbors have visited me. My living room has felt like a big couch party: coffee, tea, zucchini bread, and scones. What a fun way to go! Thank you, John, for hosting.

I love the bike community here: Foy’s, Julie Sly, and The Davis Bike Club. I could get on my e-bike and zip anywhere I wanted: TJ’s, Save Mart, Newsbeat, and Get Fit Davis. Davis is a bike lover’s paradise! Thank you city of Davis for generous bike lanes and plenty of solid bike racks.

And the gardening opportunities- Oh la la! I was able to install my dream ornamental grass and perennial garden in the front yard. It was like having my own mini meadow where I could sit and watch the parents take their kids to school. Plus, no ticks. I hate ticks!

Thank you Astrid Gaiser for designing a beautiful hardscape, lighting scape, generous deck, garbage can hider, clothes line hider, and wide welcoming front steps. It is functional and beautiful and continues the theme. The deck and chairs are bright, comfortable and welcoming.

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But most of all I want to thank Davis for giving me John, the truest love of my life.

In the backyard John, Andy Gagnon, Eduardo Sanchez, Victor Prochur Plugovy, and myself turned a sterile and boring lawn into a wild and crazy flower and vegetable garden. A big shout out to our fruit trees, tomatoes, cucumbers, roses, berries, dahlias, Etsy art, fountain, and sweet peas. We had so many nice meals on our patio watching squirrels, hummingbirds, sun rises, and sunsets. Thank you Don and Lois, thank you Master Gardeners, thank you UC Davis Arboretum, and thank you Farm Circle Garden Club.

Everyone should make this change: grow food, arrange flowers and expand your house into your garden.

I want to thank the University Farm Circle. I loved all the programs and the opportunity to serve, but most of all I loved the opportunities to make new friends —Deborah Burnett, Merrie Callahan, Molly Hillis, Shermain Hardesty, Elysa Hillis, Carol Rominger, Kalli Lewis, Linda Marshall, Carolyn Regan, Melinda Hillis, Vicki Le Pell, and Parvin Damania. I am sorry that I missed many, many people. Thank you so much for opening your arms to me and giving me your good advice.

But most of all I want to thank Davis for giving me John, the truest love of my life. I think it only took a year of watching me play in my retirement that made John want to retire. Now he putters in our garden, rides bikes, plays golf and pickleball, goes to the gym, takes his daughters to lunch and basketball games, takes naps, makes biscuits and just enjoys life every day.

So what I just want to say is: never forget to hold hands with your loved ones and say, "Aren’t we darned fortunate to live here?" And always, always upgrade your airline seat! That’s my best advice after a lifetime of frugal living.

Love, Kathy

In lieu of flowers, consider donations to the Davis Arboretum or the Davis Bike Campaign.