Katherine Susan Bang's Obituary
Katherine Susan Bang
March 20, 1952 - April 4, 2017
Katherine Susan Bang died peacefully at home on the morning of April 4th with her husband, brother and sister in attendance.
Katherine was born on March 20th, 1952 in New York City to Barbara and Henry Bang. She spent her childhood in Waukesha, Wisconsin and her teen-age years in San Mateo, California. She graduated from Hayward State University in Hayward, CA. She also received a BA in Architecture from California State Polytechnic Institute in San Luis Obispo, CA. In the late nineteen-eighties Katherine moved to Portland, Oregon where, after having worked for several architectural firms, she joined the Building Department of the City of Portland and served there as a Plans Examiner until she retired in June of 2016.
Katherine was preceded in death by her father, Henry Franklin Bang and a brother, Henry Alan. She is survived by her husband Terry Beck and his son Simon of Seattle; her mother Barbara Buskirk of Winston-Salem, NC; her brother Bradley Bang, wife Cecilia, and daughter Daniella of San Diego, CA; and her sister Laurie Kent, husband Ron, and daughters Mandelynn and Sydney of Pinnacle, NC.
Katherine was a member of St. Michael's All Angels in Portland where she had served as a member of Vestry, a liaison to outreach and justice. She was also in the Immigrant Welcoming Congregation group and active in their mission project, El Porvenir. As part of a working party, Katherine traveled twice to communities in Nicaragua to bring wells and wash houses to the people living there.
Katherine and her husband enjoyed the outdoors and traveled frequently to national parks and to the beaches, mountains, and lakes of the Northwest, where they camped, hiked, snowshoed, swam and kayaked.
Katherine was a true and steady friend and neighbor; a loving wife, daughter, sister and aunt. She will be missed.
A memorial service will be held at St. Michael's All Angels in Portland on Saturday, April 8th at 2 o'clock. The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to El Porvenir, elporvenir.org.
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