Obituary: Catherine Patricia Whalen
Catherine Patricia Whalen passed away on the morning of December 30, 2022.
Catherine was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the oldest of three children to Allen Gene Pasbrig and Frances Clark (Pasbrig). She enlisted in the US Navy at 19, starting an adventurous career that lasted over 32 years. She served in numerous positions, from being a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, to setting up various “MASH” hospitals (including one on the ice in Norway), to caring for foreign dignitaries within the White House. She retired as a Navy Captain proud of her long sought-after “Bird” insignia and achieving a life-long goal.
Catherine started working as a surgical nurse at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in 1982 and continued her service over the next 35 years. She held many, and frequently concurrent, director positions including: Infection Control, Nursing Education, Rural Health Clinics, Employee Health, School Nursing and Spanish Interpreters. She was most proud, and perhaps most challenged, in her role as the Director of Community Health Initiatives, a position created in 1993, and lasting until her retirement. She liked being busy, and she was.
She believed in community volunteerism and served on a variety of local boards, including The Next Door, Inc., and Northern Wasco County Parks & Recreation, and was involved in other community programs including the Master Gardener program.
Catherine loved to travel, read and was an adventurous woman loved by many. She was an incredible chef that took recipes and made them her own and had the keen ability to create something from scratch blending whatever she had on hand. She enjoyed hosting charity dinners and creating delicious meals for her family, and loved growing tomatoes in her garden for her famous tomato sauce.
She will be missed immensely by friends and family members including her husband Shawn Whalen, son Stephen Sessions, daughter Jenna McRae (Rob and granddaughter Teigan Catherine), sister Jen Jones, and step-sons Pierce Whalen and Joe Sessions.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, January 15th at 1pm at the Civic Auditorium in The Dalles, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Next Door, Inc. 1113 Kelly Ave, The Dalles, OR; https://nextdoorinc.org/
