Hi, my name is Wayne Katen, and I am the husband of Kimberly Katen, who has suddenly passed on January 31, 2026.
Kim and I were married for 21 beautiful years, and this year would have been our 22nd anniversary. She was the love of my life, my best friend, and the pillar of our family. I have known her since she was a senior at Del Mar High School.
Kim loved arts and crafts and enjoyed taking care of her dog, Indy. She loved going to the races and that’s where our love story began. On any given day, you could find Kim cleaning the house or binge-watching her favorite television shows.
Holidays were Kim’s favorite. She would decorate not only the outside of the house, but the inside as well. Halloween was especially her favorite holiday, which may have had something to do with her being born in the Year of the Dragon.
She spread so much love and joy to others. If you were lucky enough to meet her, you would have seen firsthand the light she brought into the world. She was always a bright ray of sunshine, on good days and bad.
Kim always worried about everyone else before herself and would do anything to help the people she cared about most. That was one of my favorite qualities about her. She was everyone’s shoulder to cry on and the person to laugh with, especially if margaritas were involved.
If her family were to describe her, we would say she was the most caring, thoughtful, and kind person you could ever know. She was the best mom, daughter, wife, and best friend to all of us. No one could compare to how wonderful she was.
Losing her has been the most devastating experience of my life. Kim leaves behind her loving parents, Sheila Smith and Heman Childs III, as well as her stepfather, Jerome Smith. She is also survived by her only sibling, her brother, Tyler Smith.
Kim’s greatest pride and joy was her family. She leaves behind five children: Amelia Katen (daughter), Melanie Katen (daughter), Michael Twitchell (son), Shelby Twitchell (daughter-in-law), Janelle Katen (step-Daughter), & Jennifer Jennings (step-daughter).
Her greatest achievement was becoming a grandmother. She deeply cherished her beloved grandchildren: Rheagan Twitchell (granddaughter), Myrene Deal (step-granddaughter), Jackson Deal (step-grandson), and Ayla Jennings (step-granddaughter).
I am now doing my best to move forward while caring for our two daughters who live at home with me. They have lost their mother, and we are all trying to navigate this painful new reality together.
I am starting this fundraiser to help with the medical expenses from her time in the ICU. Kim was in the ICU for several days, fighting for her life. She was flown from Hollister, CA, to Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, CA, to receive treatment for sudden congestive heart failure. The financial burden, on top of the emotional loss, has been overwhelming.
Any support, whether through a donation or by sharing this page, means more than I can express. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping us during this difficult time.
The celebration of life will be announced in the near future. If you feel inclined to donate to Kim and our family, please do so through this page. If it is easier to donate through Venmo, that is also an option.
You can send donations via Venmo to: @Melanie_Katen