Katrina Anne O'Neal

PRIEST RIVER Katrina Anne O’Neal died suddenly at her Priest River home on March 28th after a struggle with multiple chronic diseases. The cause was heart failure. Katrina was born in Florida in 1952 to William Ward Weeks and Irene Smayda Weeks. She was the third of four children and their only daughter. She spent her early years in Arizona, then at age 8 the family moved to the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Her love of animals was apparent very early, as was her confidence, independence and creativity. Throughout her life, her creative energies would vie with her innate attraction to animals, especially horses and dogs, for supremacy in her life as those two primary interests sometimes alternated, sometimes combined.

She wrote award winning poetry and prose, loved all aspects of the dramatic arts, acted in live theater as well as small TV parts, worked on racetracks from Belmont in NY to Louisiana, first as a hot walker, then groom, exercise girl, and finally, winning trainer. She did advertising layouts, award winning ad copy, public relations, managed a polo pony stable for a Hollywood celebrity (while simultaneously dating his boyfriend), went skydiving, and did a marathon 6 state hike out West. All the while cracking people up with her stories, her letters, tales of her loves lost and won, of her dogs, horses, cats, geese, rabbits, and human friends and foes.

She died as a retired registered nurse of 25 years and award winning amateur horse and dog breeder with only a shoestring budget but an unerring eye. But she was so very much more, alternately bursting with creativity, love, humor, obscenities and scorn in equal measure. A unique being of unrivaled gifts, she will be deeply missed by those who loved her. Those who didn’t, meh, not so much. But then she wouldn’t care.

She is survived by her horses Maja, 32; Angel, 22; and Kioyote, 10, all of Priest River. She also leaves innumerable canine friends and companions, past and present including Lion, Price, Molly, and Rosie all of whom predecease her. And she leaves many decades long friends from different parts of the country and different parts of her life. Oh. And three brothers, Nicholas, William and George.

Interment will be private at Trinity Church columbarium in St Mary’s City, Maryland.

For those who wish to donate in Katrina’s memory, please consider the Equus Foundation, the Better Together Animal Alliance of Sandpoint, or the charity of your choice.

Sherman Campbell Funeral Home in Newport WA is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends are welcome to visit their website for the full version of the obituary to be updated soon at www.shermancampbell.com.