Kathleen Audrey (Jackson) Peck

Kathleen Audrey (Kathy) Peck (formerly Jackson) passed away on Feb 10 2025, at 74 years old. In recent years, Kathy battled kidney failure with complications related to heart disease but managed to maintain a positive outlook that few could replicate. Some of her closest friendships blossomed with the new people she met during her dialysis treatments. Raised in Maplewood, MN, Kathy graduated from North St. Paul High School. She loved recounting the story of one of her first jobs, where she worked on roller skates in the Montgomery Ward warehouse.

Many of her lifelong friendships began during her time at Eco Labs, though she later spent most of her career at 3M. Kathy had a remarkable ability to connect with people, easily striking up lengthy conversations with anyone she met. One of her favorite pastimes was working at the front counter of the art and antique shop she and her husband, Earl, owned in Annandale, MN. She delighted in dressing up as a witch to hand out candy to children at Halloween, and entertaining customers with her secret chili recipe during the city's chili cook-off competition. Countless customers visited the store to see Kathy and enjoy one of her famous root beer floats. Family was always her top priority. One of her cherished routines was her weekend chats with her daughter, Katie. If her mother ever failed to text her the morning weather and traffic report to kick off her workday, Katie could sense something was wrong. Kathy often expressed that one of the best jobs she ever had was caring for her two grandsons during their early years, taking long walks while pushing a stroller, and treating them to candy at the nearby convenience store. After family, Kathy’s heart was full of love for every animal she encountered. She never missed an opportunity to give a cat or dog a pat on the head while sharing stories about her two beloved Shih Tzu's, Scarlet and Baby. The only creatures that seemed to get a cross word from her were the local squirrels, which seemed intent on digging into her beautiful flowers and stealing her tomatoes and cucumbers from the planters on her deck. Kathy enjoyed spending hours on the lanai at her Florida home, reading the paper, sipping coffee, and chatting with her sisters and friends on the phone. Yet, when spring arrived, she excitedly returned to Woodbury to plant her flowers and vegetables.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Jackson and Joan Mabrey, sister Charlotte Schowalter, and her brother, Richard, who passed away at a young age. She is survived by her husband, Earl; her daughter, Katie Patraw (Chuck); her grandsons, Blake (Antonia) and Austin; her great-granddaughter, Kennedy; her sisters, Judy Van Buskirk (Merlyn) and Charlene Grimes (Russell); half sisters Lynn Benson and Ann Buckley-Platt and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. A Celebration of Life will be held on March 1 with a gathering at 10:00 AM, a service at 11am, with a lunch to follow at O'Halloran and Murphy, 8700 Valley Creek Road, Woodbury, MN.

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