Tribute

Our dad, Jack Dausend, married Cathy (which is what we called her) on August 28, 2000, in Trinidad, one of the Caribbean islands they visited—and eventually made their home for quite some years. They ended up there after sailing for over 20 years in Dad’s Westsail, his sailboat. So, here’s the story we know from how they met and what their life was like: It was 1980 when Dad and Cathy left San Francisco to “sail around the world”. Up until that point, Dad was building his sailboat – a Westsail 32 – while simultaneously working. His intent was to quit his job when he was 50, and he was pretty much on track. What Dad didn’t have was a First Mate, however, so he began the search. Requirements: must be adventurous, willing to quit everything else, medical knowledge helpful, chef skills would be ideal . . . and you had to be female. It might be an “urban legend”, but the story goes that Dad put an ad into the San Francisco Chronicle with those exact requirements. He set up a mobile office down at the Bay. He set up times for “interviews”. When he opened the office door, there was a line around the block. All women. Cathy was one of them: Smart, fun, adventurous . . . and a nurse. Check, check, check, and check. In the fall of 1980 . . . they took off. They sailed down the California coast, stopping along the way in Oceanside, where daughter Linda lived. Son Stephen and his wife Carolyn drove over from Arizona. We enjoyed beautiful weather while sailing along the Pacific coastline. Although the idea was to sail around the world, Jack and Cathy found they loved the leisurely sails through the Pacific. They visited all the countries along the coast, and then they sailed through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean, where they explored many islands. Then came Trinidad. There they found their “spirit place”. The country is vibrant and fun, and they got to know many wonderful people, eventually settling there by purchasing a home and starting a business. They got married there, in the year 2000, and lived there until Jack started showing signs of dementia. They returned to the U.S. in 2015, where they stayed close by Jack’s children in Arizona. Jack succumbed to his Alzheimer’s in March of 2024 at the age of 92. The Big Adventure was over, but not the love between the two. Cathy took great care of Jack and was always there for him. She believed—and knew—that he could feel everything, hear everything, and understand how much she loved him. We are so glad they had each other, and we are so glad Cathy was the one. As son Stephen said when she passed, “She’s now joined up with Dad and they’re sailing the heavens together”. Tribute from Jack’s children: Linda Dausend, Stephen Dausend, Jack “Charlie” Dausend, Lisa Dausend: Cathryn, beloved friend, dedicated nurse, avid reader, always curious and full of wanderlust, has left our lives and is off on another adventure with Jack, sailing among the stars.

Friends & Family

Jack Dausend (third husband), Jon Winn (second husband), Kate Easton (married to Jon), Children: Amy M Salawu (daughter) Sara Elisabeth Hatcher (daughter) Step-Children: Linda Dausend (Stepdaughter) Jack Charles Dausend) (Stepson) Stephen Dausend (Stepson) Lisa Dausend (Stepdaughter) Friends: Steve Smith (friend) Rose Metzger (friend)