Katherine Mary Friesen
Katherine Mary (McCune) Friesen passed away on Friday, July 26, 2024, in her home in Tucson, Ariz., surrounded by her husband and daughter. Loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and grandmother, she was 79 years old.
Kate was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sept. 19, 1944, to Mary Elizabeth (Meyers) and John Francis McCune Jr. After graduating from Williamsburg High School, she married John James Hughes of Williamsburg and they moved to San Gabriel, Calif. In 1965, they had a daughter, Lisa Ann (Hughes) Ebeling and soon moved back to Iowa., residing in Cedar Rapids. They divorced in 1976, and on June 1, 1985, she married Dr. W. Jay Friesen.
She went on to college and graduate school (University of Iowa) and graduated Summa Cum Laude in Marriage and Family Counseling. She worked at Rockwell International and upon retiring, moved with her husband to Tucson, Ariz.
Kate was known for her quick wit, infectious laugh, and banter with friends and family along with notorious picture-taking. She adored and doted on her four grandchildren (Joshua and Jenna Ebeling and Hunter and Connor Friesen) and will always be remembered for her loving nature, compassion, and generosity and as the grandmother known as “fun Granny.”
She is preceded in death by her parents and brother John Francis III, stepmother Shirley McCune, and half-siblings Barb and Bill McCune of Williamsburg, Iowa. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 39 years, Jay, daughter Lisa, son-in-law Mark, grandchildren Joshua and Jenna Ebeling of Colorado, stepson Mark, daughter-in-law Jessica, and grandchildren Hunter and Connor Friesen of Minnesota, and half-siblings Tom McCune of Cedar Rapids, Janet Kugley of Cedar Rapids, Carolyn McCune of Des Moines, and Kim FuhrMeister of Iowa City, sister-in-law Joy McCune of Minnesota, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Cousins Leanne Reddick (Bob) of North Carolina, Larry Donohoe of Oregon, and Mike Donohoe (Linda) of Virginia grew up with Kate and were as close as siblings.
Flowers or donations may be sent to the Mayo Clinic or to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation.
Robbie (née Juniel) Summers
By Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg
Robbie Summers, a devoted wife, a loving mother, a loyal friend, a renowned artist, a bridge player, a golfer, and a ferocious reader, peacefully passed away, at her home in SaddleBrooke, on July 19 at the age of 83. Diagnosed with breast and lung cancer on her birthday on Oct. 23, 2020, Robbie forged a courageous battle against the insidious disease, which eventually metastasized to other parts of her body. However, she never let cancer define her and she was still going out to lunch and dinner on a daily basis a few weeks prior to her passing.
Born in Camden, Ark., Robbie was the oldest of six children. She attended the University of Arkansas and graduated in 1962 with a B.S. in Education. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority at the university. She met her future husband, Bill, on a blind date in 1960 and they married in 1962. Robbie would then earn her master’s in Early Childhood Education at Central Community State College in Connecticut.
Robbie and Bill moved to several states during their marriage, due to Bill’s career in marketing, and in each state—Kansas, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire—Robbie taught in pre-school and in elementary classrooms.
While living in Dallas, their son, Mark, who is a surgical technician in Tucson, was born on Sept. 11, 1968.
Bill and Robbie were avid tennis players and in 1980 Robbie decided to take up golf.
Robbie retired in 2001 and on Sept. 11, 2001 (a day that shall also live in infamy?) Bill and Robbie moved from New Hampshire to SaddleBrooke.
But retirement life wasn’t exactly in the cards for Robbie. While she had previously dabbled in watercolors when she arrived in SaddleBrooke she started her hobby of watercolor painting with aplomb; her watercolor artwork has received notice from art enthusiasts both inside and outside of SaddleBrooke.
She immersed herself in the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild and held offices with the Guild, including becoming the president of the organization. She also joined the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild (SAWG) and held an office with that organization as well. She was also a member of the SaddleBrooke Lady Niners until her passing.
Robbie is survived by her husband of 62 years, Bill, and son, Mark, as well as one brother, three sisters, three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Many members of the SaddleBrooke Lady Niners received many golfing tips from Robbie over the years, including her wise and familiar words “Keep your head down!” Robbie will be missed by everyone who knew her.
Donations in Robbie’s name may be made to the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild (SAWG), 5420 East Broadway, Suite 240, Tucson, AZ 85711. SAWG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that permits SAWG to accept tax-exempt donations for its various educational programs.