This afternoon I learned that a sweet, dear friend of mine from high school, passed away. Katharine is perhaps the most talented jewelry designer in the world. I am so happy that there is a record in the way of this video of her beauty, her voice and her art. I will miss you for the remainder of my life.
Katharine (Chester) James was born December 30, 1958, in Crescent City, graduating from Del Norte High School in 1977. During high school we often teased each other, having given each other a pet-name. She called me ‘Tommy Salami,’ and I gave her the moniker, ‘Chester the Molester.’ She was always a sweet person and had a one of a kind smile for everybody she met.
Following graduation, she studied fashion merchandising at Brooks College and eventually turned her eye to fine jewelry eventually joining ‘Michael B.’ jewelry, where she rose to vice president of marketing and sales, and spent over a decade running operations. In 2005, Kathy launched her own collection, under her name ‘Katharine James.’
Kathy was so concerned about others, that even though she was ill, she refused to let many people know how badly the cancer had spread through her body. Instead, she preferred helping others, rather than having others ‘wait on her.’
She is survived by her mother, Maria Chester; brother, James Chester; and sister, Denise Kay. Kathy was 60 years old when she died on July 6, 2019.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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