11/25/1936 – 12/27/2013
Our beloved Kathrin “Kathy” Meijer passed away on December 27, 2013 at her home in Santa Barbara. She was a very loving soul, known for her big heart and great love for her friends and family. It is with great sadness that we bid her farewell.
Katharina was born in Csolnok, Hungary, a small town outside Budapest, to Franz and Rosalia Szaszwari. After WWII the family moved to Gerlingen, Germany, a small beautiful town outside Stuttgart where she grew up. In 1955 as a young woman she immigrated to America by way of Ellis Is land and settled in Cleveland, Ohio where she met and married Pieter Meijer. Their sons Pieter Jr. and Robert were born there, and in 1966 they moved to Santa Barbara where their daughter Rosalie was born, and where Kathy resided for the rest of her life.
Kathy was a very fun loving person, always with the door to her home and her heart open to the ones she cared about. She has many friends with whom she shared a deep mutual love that spanned several decades. There are many fond memories of pool parties and “kaffee klatches” at her home over the years. She enjoyed cooking and baking, especially her famiy’s favorite traditional German and Hungarian dishes. Kathy also very much enjoyed tending her garden and was gifted with a green thumb. All the plants she touched flourished abundantly. She loved sitting on her patio enjoying the pool and lush greenery, as well as the many hummingbirds that came to visit her. Yet, if you asked Kathy what she loved most in life, it was her grandchildren Kymani, Shelby, Wyatt and Taylor. They brought her much joy over the years and her heart continuously brimmed with pride and unwavering love for them.
Kathy was preceded in death by her parents and eldest son Pieter Jr. She is survived by son Robert “Bob” Meijer, daughter Rosalie Lorian Meijer, grandchildren Kymani (Rosalie), Shelby and Wyatt (Pieter), and Taylor-Mae (Robert), all residing in Santa Barbara; her sister Rosemary Seifert of Gerlingen; as well as many other loving family members who remain in Germany and Hungary.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday January 4, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. at Goleta Valley Church on 595 N. Fairview Ave. All are welcome and encouraged to come and share their memories with her family and friends.
