Obituary of Sonda Catalano

Sonda was born in Jerome, Idaho to Raymond and Elaine Nab on January 28, 1957. She lived in Idaho, Oregon, Northern and Southern California and made her final home in Vancouver, Washington. She spent her early childhood in the Portland area, along with her younger brothers, Derek and Randal and sisters, Debra and Rebecca. Sonda attended Grade School in Damascus, then graduated from Clackamas High School in 1975. Sonda was always a good student and she enjoyed learning. After High School she attended Clackamas Community College, Clark Community College, and graduated with honors from Western Business College with a BA degree in Applied Science. She continued educational pursuits up to her last year , doing studies in the Criminal Justice System, always seeking to help people who needed it the most. Sonda worked in the airline business from 1978 to 1983. There she met her husband Steve, and they were married in 1981. During her life she traveled to many fun, interesting places. This included many trips to the Hawaiian Islands, Texas, Washington DC, and the Caribbean, but she enjoyed coming home to her family most of all. As the children, Chris and Amanda, were growing up, she juggled many things. She was Brownie Leader and the kids' Soccer Coach, even though she never played soccer herself. At the same time, she worked for United Parcel Service in aircraft logistics, then as a legal intern, followed by working as a staff assistant at Covington Middle School. The last 7 years "Mrs. C" was at Shahala Middle School in Vancouver as Para Educator or Teacher Assistant. Sonda enjoyed reading (especially Louis Lamour novels), scuba diving, solving Crossword and Suduko puzzles, and being with friends and family. Her final year, even while fighting cancer, she was continuing her education to work in the Criminal Justice System, volunteering in the emergency room at Southwest Medical Center, and being a great mom. Her desire was to continue helping people who needed it the most, as she had done for so much of her life. Sonda will be greatly missed by us all, but she has left us with the sure hope that she is in a far better place, free from pain, and with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sonda's last wish was that you would prepare yourself to join her when your life-end comes.