Kathy Kay Allison (Newport News, VA) passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at the age of 67, after a ten-year journey with early onset Alzheimer’s. She was surrounded by the love of her family and left this world with the same fierce heart and strength she brought to every moment of her life.

Born in Ogden, UT, on November 1, 1957, to Lola (Kapp) & Walter Hokanson and eldest sibling to Walter Douglas, Nancy, Karol, Andrew, and Jennifer. Kat was never afraid to forge her own path. She graduated from Clearfield High School in 1976, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper. She then enlisted in the U.S. Army, trained at Fort McClellan, AL, and became a photojournalist at the Defense Information School. She proudly reminded everyone, “I was in the Army!”—a simple statement that summed up her tenacity for life, independence, and adventurous spirit.

In 1977, while stationed at Fort Eustis, VA, Kathy met Darrell “Dar” Allison, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, who also lived in the same off-base apartment complex as she did. Everything changed after one sold-out Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” concert they attended together. Kat and Dar were married on November 9th, later that year on the banks of the York River in Seaford, VA. For the next 47 years, they built and shared a life filled with laughter, family traditions, creativity, and enduring love.

After learning she was expecting their first child, Kat transitioned from Army life to homemaking, opening the floodgates for her creative energy, especially sewing. She made everything from Halloween costumes to robes and even backpacks, accompanied by the almost daily aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from the kitchen. When Dar was deployed for long stretches over the years, wrangling four kids alone wasn’t always easy, but Kat built a village around her and turned each one of their homes—Ogden, Norfolk, Munford, and Newport News—into welcoming and imaginative havens. In the mid-2000s, she launched her business, Copperleaf Designs, from the home studio that Dar had built for her, where a constant array of art supplies, paints, beads, copper wire, handmade paper, dyed fiber, and numerous tools were always available.

Kat was a romantic novel enthusiast, a gardener with the greenest thumb (who adored dahlias), a master seamstress and beader, a published author, and an innovative artist whose work was featured often at the Rawls Museum, art shows, and festivals throughout the Hampton Roads area. She told her life stories through every stitch and brushstroke and loved teaching others to do the same.

When her first grandchild was born, so was the title of “Bama” because that’s how “Grandma” was pronounced. It was obvious to all that Kat’s most cherished role in life was being a Bama to her five grandchildren—Jack, Giavanna, and Katherine (Baker), Lyric and Conrad—the tiny souls who lit up her and Dar’s world. She shared art in her studio (mostly with their favorite water-soluble crayons), picnics and leaf piles in the backyard, snuggles on the couch, and nature in the garden, as well as “Bama’s Castle,” the greenhouse she and Dar had built. Back in 2008, Kat was put on the spot and was asked what were some “words of wisdom” she’d like to pass on to her future grandchildren…little did she know then that by giving her daughter the gift of learning to sew, she now has grandchildren, who are much older now, that ”really-really like” fiber and have created lots and lots of beautiful things with it.

 “Let your grandma teach you to sew and really-really like it. The biggest gift in my life was that my grandmother (Kapp) taught me how to sew and had the patience for it. I want a grandbaby who sews. I want to pass that down; it’s important to me. So, I would like it a lot if one of my grandkids fell in love with fiber, too.”  

She is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, and her loyal companions—her beloved dogs: Venus, Midian, and Whiskey—who no doubt greeted her with wagging tails and maybe even a bottomless bucket of tennis balls.
Kathy is lovingly remembered by her husband, Darrell; her four brilliantly talented children and their families: Nathan (Christine), Gail (Rodney), Keith (LeiLynn), and Spencer (Stephanie); her five gorgeous grandchildren; her siblings and their families and many other relatives; and all of the dear friends that touched her life.

When Kat began needing full-time care in 2020, her family continued to mourn quietly, in their own ways, as different parts of her personality and memory faded. When Dar was able to fully retire, he became her sole caregiver and direct support system, learning more and more how their life together was affected by her disease. With their world turned upside down, the only way forward was strength in numbers. With a support system in place with family in Chesterfield, VA, the rest of the clan from San Diego, Chicago, and Atlanta packed up and moved back to Virginia. Making Kat and Dar very happy and relieved, with all things considered, that their family was nearby to help care for their mom and support their dad. To help Dar navigate the most uncertain time of their lives, Keith, LeiLynn, Lyric, and Conrad eventually moved into the family home. Dar would often say, “Kat only gets the best five-star, white-glove service!” as she was surrounded by love and cared for immensely every single day, no matter what challenges Kat’s disease brought on throughout their heartbreaking journey with her.

Kat leaves behind a legacy stitched with humor, boldness, and deep love. Her presence was a gift, all the way until the very end. Her love, a blessing, to all who knew her. And her story lives on in every laugh, hug, and handmade treasure shared in her memory.

Kathy was cremated on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Darrell, along with the rest of Kat’s family, would like to express their utmost gratitude to the compassionate care teams from Cremation Society of Virginia, Amedisys Hospice of Williamsburg (especially RNs Judy, Megan, Dana, Tony, Lauren, Lindsey and staff Donrhine, Lisa, and Kathy), Tidewater Peninsula Medical Group (Dr. Toy & Dr. Anatolian), and Portsmouth Naval Hospital; and to the many friends and family who showed up with comforting hugs and/or provided meals, called, sent cards or messages—all of your love meant the world.

If you would like to contact Darrell on behalf of Kat’s family, kindly email: allisonestate56@gmail.com

In lieu of flowers, the Allison family encourages you to do something Kat would have loved: grow a plant, bake bread or pie, or donate to your local animal shelter or the Peninsula SPCA in her name.

A private family memorial will be held on June 14, 2025, with a celebration of life to follow—just as Bama Kat requested:

“I just want all my babies and the people that I love, right here. We’ll have a big party and do all the things, because that would make me really-really happy!”