Kathleen (Kay) Patricia Feldman 1930 - 2022

The best mom ever was born November 9, 1930, in Portland, Oregon, to Mary Margaret (“Molly” Gogarty) and John Francis Riordan. Her name is Kathleen (Kay) Patricia (Riordan) Feldman.

Mom grew up in Southeast Portland with older brother John and older sister Dorothy. She attended Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School and Immaculata Academy for high school.  In high school, Mom played basketball, and also refereed games at local grade schools. She loved to go to the movies with friends and spent time at Woodstock Park playing tennis, ping pong and handball.  On Saturdays, she went roller skating with friends at Sellwood Park.

After high school, Mom enjoyed time at Rockaway Beach with her friends. She spent many fun nights at the dance halls around Portland. She worked at tractor companies doing inventory, a Bookbinder, Brown Bearing Company, then at the National Cylinder Gas Co. This is when she met Dad, Robert (Bob) Feldman. They were married on November 17, 1956. The two lived in N.W. Portland, moved to Sherwood, and then bought a farm in the Eola Hills outside Salem in 1967. On this farm they raised eight children: Chris, Joe, Mollie, Karen, Kate, Jenny, Diana and Tony. Mom and Dad enjoyed square dancing with the Red Hots. The family went to yearly potlucks and strawberry feeds at the Spring Valley Community Center. Mom was a great cook, and we always sat down to a healthy meal each night. She canned hundreds of quarts of fruit each year; most nights this was our dessert. Mom and Dad enjoyed traveling all around the country in their RV as empty nesters. Mom created albums and journals of all their adventures.

Mom was the best; she was kind and caring but allowed us to explore and be independent. She encouraged hard work, honesty, accountability, common sense, education and empathy toward others. She had a quick wit and a great sense of humor. She loved books, words, rocks, dolls, tea cups, watching sports, going out to lunch and bargain hunting. She loved her family deeply.

Mom and Dad are survived by their daughter-in-law, June Worley; children, Joe (Donna) Feldman, Mollie (Lewis) Maxson, Karen (Steve) Aumend, Kate (Kelly) Crowe, Diana (Kurt) Christensen, Jenny (Tim) Woock, and Tony (Dawn) Feldman; 19 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. We lost Chris too early in 2009, and Dad died in February of 2016. Mom joined them on Monday, February 7, 2022, after showing us for the last time how amazingly tough she is.

She had a blessed life and will be incredibly missed. We will love you forever, Mom.

The family gathered to celebrate her life on Saturday, February 12, at Bethel Heights Vineyard in West Salem.

Donations in memory of Kay (Mom) can be given to the American Red Cross.

Assisting the family with arrangements is Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.