Kathy H. Anderson

Kathryn Hostler Anderson, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many passed away surrounded by loved ones after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on February 18 ^th , 2023, at the age of 69.

Kathy was the first of two daughters, born November 6 ^th , 1953, in Dallas, Texas, to Betty and James Hostler. The family moved to Richardson, Texas in 1959 where she grew up. After graduating from Richardson High School in 1972, Kathy attended Stephen F. Austin State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Secondary Education in 1976.

In the summer of 1977, Kathy married her high school sweetheart Sam and began a beautiful life together in Plano, Texas. Soon after, Kathy started her career in the medical industry working for Merck as a pharmaceutical representative. Their family started to grow in July of 1984 with the birth of their son Greg. Three and half years later in December 1987, their second son Bradley was born. In 1990, Kathy accepted a promotion and the family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona. After two and half years, the family returned to the Dallas area, building a home in Fairview, Texas. Kathy took great pride in her work and enjoyed a long, successful, fulfilling career, retiring in 2012. Kathy and Sam celebrated their 45 ^th wedding anniversary in 2022.

Kathy treasured spending time with her family more than anything and was especially grateful for the close bond she shared with her mother and sister. Their bond was the epitome of unconditional love and support. The thing that gave her the greatest joy in life was her two boys. She enjoyed introducing them to new activities and experiencing the adventures of different places with them.  Always a dedicated mother, she showered them with love and support in their formative years, guided and taught them through adolescence, and prepared them for life as they matured into adulthood. She was so proud of the outgoing, kind, successful and loving men they became. In recent years, Kathy found new levels of joy with the births of her two grandsons, Brett and Jake.  Becoming a “Gigi” provided Kathy with abundant happiness as she experienced the development and wonder of their early years from a grandmother’s perspective.

Kathy’s favorite past time was traveling with family and friends. Whether it was scuba trips in Mexico, island hopping through the British Virgin Islands, family ski trips in Colorado, or sightseeing in Europe and Australia, Kathy lived by her motto: “never pass up an opportunity.” Kathy’s strong sense of adventure empowered her to seek out new places to explore with the ones she loved. She loved hiking in national parks, soaking in nature and admiring the natural beauty of this land.  Her favorite place on Earth was Cozumel, where she traveled numerous times basking in the sun, sand, and clear blue water. While battling cancer, she said “If you live a long life and never pass up an opportunity, imagine how full life will be. If you don’t live a long life, but you never pass up an opportunity, imagine how full that life will be. Either way, you will have no regrets.” Kathy truly had no regrets and her spirit will live on forever through her family and friends.

Kathy is survived by her mother Betty Hostler, husband Sam Anderson, children Greg (Amy) Anderson and Bradley (Stephanie) Anderson, grandchildren Brett and Jake Anderson, sister Judy Hostler (Mike), and nieces Katie Parks and Stacey Andrews. She was preceded in death by her father, James E. Hostler.

A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at Allen Family Funeral Options with a reception to follow immediately after. If desired and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Kathy’s memory to National Pancreas Foundation: https://pancreasfoundation.org/take-action-2/donate-to-npf/