A long-time resident of Eureka, Kathleen Lehto Cataldi, passed away peacefully at age 101 on May 27, 2020. Kathleen and her twin brother Karl were born in 1919 in North Bend, Oregon to Finnish immigrants Onni Vaino Lehto and Greta Sofia Lehto. They, along with her older brother Robert, moved to Eureka in 1931. Her parents went on to build Lehto’s Bakery and the adjoining New Steam Baths, located at 6th and C. Kathleen and her brothers worked in the family business during high school and beyond. During WWII, Kathleen worked as one of the “Rosie the Riveters” in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kathleen had long beautiful red hair which earned her the nickname “Red” in her youth.

Kathleen — who was also known as Kay to her friends — graduated from Eureka Senior High School in 1938. Kathleen was accepted to Humboldt State University where she took classes for a year, and eventually finished her studies at College of the Redwoods earning an Associate in Arts degree in 1968 at age 49. Kathleen was a proponent of getting an education and instilled this in her daughter Karen, her only child, who went on to earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. In addition to being an avid reader of nonfiction, Kathleen was a skilled piano player and taught Karen how to play the piano and read music.

Kathleen, who was bilingual English and Finnish and proud of her Finnish ancestry, was a member of the Finnish-American Kaleva Lodge #10 in Eureka for more than 50 years and an original member of the Finnish-American Home Association in Sonoma. She was also a member of the Camellia Chapter #63 of the Eastern Star. She enjoyed sewing, making aprons for family and friends; and baking, which included creating beautiful multi-tiered wedding cakes not only for family and friends but for sale as well. Her granddaughter and namesake Kathleen — herself a good baker, thanks in part to Grandma — said that “Grandma could make a perfect pie crust from scratch in under ten minutes.” Her grandson Nicolas often enjoyed teasing the females in the family by calling them “kissa” (“cat” in Finnish) which he learned from Grandma, who enjoyed teaching Finnish to family members. Kathleen also loved traveling down to the Bay area, having a lot of fun visiting her cousin Reino Johnson, niece Jan Lehto Libert and grandnieces Dawn Davis and Robin Allen. She once had the good fortune to win a free trip to Hawaii for herself and husband Horace Cataldi. In addition to her stoic determination (or “sisu” in Finnish), she was an assertive individual and when she didn’t want to comply with a request, she would reply “Ei means no!” where “ei” is “no” in Finnish. Kathleen loved to laugh and had a great sense of humor.

Kathleen was predeceased by her parents Onni Vaino Lehto and Greta Sofia Lehto, her first husband John P. Oester and her second husband Horace Cataldi, her brothers Karl Lehto and Robert Lehto and sister-in-law Helen Lehto, her first cousin Reino Johnson and her niece Jan Lehto Libert.

Kathleen is survived by her daughter Karen Oester Concepcion, son-in-law Cronder Concepcion, grandchildren Kathleen Berry (husband Dave Eaves) and C. Nicolas Concepcion; great-grandchildren Madeleine Eaves, Charlotte Eaves and Oliver Concepcion; as well as her niece Greta Lehto, nephews Harold Lehto and Karl Lehto Jr.; and her many grandnieces and grandnephews.

Many thanks to the caring staff at Alder Bay Assisted Living, who provided Kathleen with quality care over the years. We thank the nurses of Hospice of Humboldt in conjunction with the Alder Bay staff who provided Kathleen with excellent comfort and care during her final days. We would also like to thank her hairdresser Linda Foster Schultz, with whom she had many laughs, for always giving Kathleen such beautiful curls.

At Kathleen’s request, no service was to be held. She is now interred at Ocean View Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kathleen Cataldi’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.