Katherine Dale Kelley Debernardi

Katherine “Kate” DeBernardi, 86, passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, November 27, 2023.
She was born in Bell, California on November 15, 1937, to Jack and Blanche Kelley. Kate grew up in Southern California and had a beautiful life from beginning to end.

Kate married James Anthony “Jim” DeBernardi, and the couple continued to live in Southern California, being blessed with daughters, Juliet and Andrea. The family relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1969 where they lived for the next six years, and their third daughter Amanda was born. In 1975, another job relocation led them to Southwest Louisiana, where they lived until all the girls grew up and “left the nest.”

Kate served her family lovingly in her role as homemaker and full-time Mom. Her love, guidance and strength helped to prepare her daughters for success in their lives. In 1989, Kate and Jim moved to Houston, where they enjoyed the many cultural experiences offered in the big city. Several years after Jim’s death in 1991, Kate relocated to Albuquerque, NM, a place that she had come to love for its climate and culture during her travels. Kate remained there for 17 years before returning to this area in 2019 to be near her eldest daughters.

Kate lived a creative lifestyle that included painting, quilting, a flare for home aesthetics, and experiencing cultural events. The family still has many of her quilts and other creative treasures that they consider family heirlooms. Kate was a social Bridge player, a voracious reader and an enthusiastic domestic and international traveler. She was an animal lover and a generous benefactor of Canine Companions, an outstanding national service dog program headquartered in Santa Rosa, CA.

Left to cherish Kate’s memory are, her daughters, Juliet Emerson (John) and Andrea Blanchard (Jim) of Lake Charles, and Amanda DeBernardi of Columbus, Ohio. She was also blessed with grandchildren, Nicholas and Benjamin Blanchard (Lindsay) of Lake Charles, and Olivia and Hadley Trueman of Columbus, Ohio, and great grandchildren Rose and Dawson Blanchard of Lake Charles.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Mary Levin, and her husband Jim.

Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home.

The family would like to give special thanks to LeeAnna Stevens Caregiving Service and her incredible staff, and to Heart of Hospice, all of whose loving care made Kate’s last years peaceful.

Memorial gifts in Kate’s memory may be made to Canine Companions, www.canine.org , the organization she strongly supported for their service dog program throughout the US.