Kathleen C. Greiner, 67, of Deer Harbor, Wash., died Friday, Dec. 14, at home. The bride of Gordon G. Greiner, who died in 2006, Kathy was an animal lover, a passionate and voracious reader, a watercolor enthusiast and a professionally trained chef.

In 1998 Kathy and Gordon retired to Orcas from Denver, Colo., where she was a docent at the Denver Zoo and graduated from the Rocky Mountain Culinary Institute of Boulder and Provence, France.

On Orcas, Kathy was involved in the Garden Club and the Women’s Auxiliary of Deer Harbor. She was famous for the croissants that she made for fundraisers and, with Gordon, compiled a cookbook, “Past and Repast: Deer Harbor Recipes and History.” When she and Gordon purchased their first boat, a 48-foot Tally Craft, she learned to co-pilot it.

Kathy wrote in the mid 1990s, while still in Denver, that her dream was to “live close to water, surrounded by nature and beauty. Stars are visible in the night sky and natural sounds surround me. We have lots of friends and are part of the community.” Kathy’s dream came true on Orcas.

Kathy is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, George and Linda Rolby of St. Louis, her niece and nephew Lauren and Daniel, also of St. Louis, her step-son David Greiner of San Clemente, California, step-daughter Gail Greiner of Nyack, New York, two grandchildren Nikolai and Anna Stern, and her African Gray Parrot, Charlie Byrd.