Katherine & Barth Mikals

Love Never Dies

Katherine, born in a Germanic village in Tomnatic, Romania March 1, 1921, she immigrated with her parents to Chicago at 3 years of age. She left this earth on October 31, 2014 with the hope of reuniting with her predeceased husband of 64 years, Barth, who was born in Chicago on November 30, 1916, and died February 10, 2004.

Having immigrant parents meant they were both starting life at the bottom of the socio economic ladder. They learned the importance of setting goals, working hard, and being prudent with money.

They met and married in Chicago and had two daughters, Diane and Linda. In 1948 they came to California to enjoy the sunshine and the opportunities offered at the time. Barth was an accomplished mechanical engineer. His career high was working in the aerospace industry. Katherine began her career in education working as an elementary school secretary. Her last position was as activities secretary at Laguna Beach High School. Her dedication and enjoyment in serving students and staff led to her receiving numerous accolades. As they prospered and built a beautiful life together, their dream of building their own home in Laguna Beach was realized in 1975. Located on the hill behind the town and Main Beach, their home had a beautiful panoramic view including Catalina Island, which always brought memories of their boat and trips to the island of romance. Their curiosity and interest propelled them to discover the world and with their generosity made it a better place. Recently, Katherine wished to honor her husband and his Lithuanian heritage by helping a school in his mother’s home town. Katherine is responsible for bringing a Soviet deprived school up to UNESCO standards and have it serve as a model for the rest of the country. Barth and Katherine set a high standard for their large, loving family.

They will always be loved and never forgotten.