Karlene Foster (Katy Olson) was born on April 24, 1938 to Lillian Lavern (Adams) and Woodrow Foster in Whittier, California. Katy raised two sons, Kirk and John while working as a hairstylist for men and volunteering as an undercover agent. Katy moved to Alaska in the early seventies with one of her sons and her St. Bernard dog. She moved to Girdwood where she worked at the Alyeska Ski Resort and as a volunteer firefighter. Later she moved on to Kodiak where she landed a job on a fishing boat for a short while. In the early seventies she moved to Homer and bought property on East End Road overlooking McNeil Canyon. Later she moved into town.

Katy has many friends and was known for taking chocolate chip cookies to many. She has been a generous person. At Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter she would send cards to many Homer acquaintances including doctors, the medical center, fire fighters, and friends in the stores in town. She also liked to organize parties for her friends.

Katy was very artistic. She worked with metal, water colors, acrylics as well as stained glass. She had a good eye for colors and for a short time took up quilting. She always dressed well with good taste and was very conscientious of how she looked. For a time she decorated houses in Homer and had a shop in the mall that is now Ulmer’s Hardware.

Katy loved animals and always had a dog. She dearly loved her two Schnauzer dogs, Laddie and Lassie. Her latest dog was Butterfly. At times she had cats, too. She fed birds in her back yard and loved the moose that would frequently come to the apartment where she lived.

Katy was a volunteer at Hospice of Homer and at South Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary. She was a member of the Homer United Methodist Church and was a charter member of its Centering Prayer Group.

Katy died peacefully in the South Peninsula Hospital on February 23. She will be missed by her many friends. A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, March 12 at 1:00 PM at the Homer United Methodist Church.