On April 10, 2021, Kathleen Ortiz returned to Heaven in her home of 37 years surrounded by the love of her daughters in the same room she was married.
Kathleen was born October 24, 1948, here in Napa to Dennis and Dorthy (Hammond) Collins. She attended local schools; West Park Elementary, Redwood and Silverado Middle School, and graduated from Napa High in 1966. She had many stories of swimming at Vichy Springs, grabbing a burger at Chic's for lunch, and taking the bus downtown to get shoes for fifty cents.
After graduating high school Kathleen did hair in local salons and then married her first husband Gene Hickey. They moved to Texas and lived there for 8 years. During her time there she tried nursing in an elderly care home. She decided that her heart was not in that work because it was too sad. It was during this point in her life that she decided to get baptized and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She would divorce and move back to Napa where she vowed to remain for the rest of her life.
When she returned to Napa she married Paul Partridge until his passing. She maintained a relationship with his daughter, Michelle Drew to this day.
She then met her husband Joseph Ortiz. They married in April of 1984. Shortly after they opened Kathleen's Hair styles on Old Sonoma Road. In 1985, they opened a second shop on Solano Avenue. After a few years they would consolidate to just the one shop and would work together almost ten years. In that shop Kathleen would raise her growing family and support her clientele until its closing due to her sudden diagnosis of brain cancer in November of 2020 ending a professional career of 54 years.
The joy of Kathleen's life was becoming a mother and grandmother. She waited so long to be both. Her favorite activity to her very last day was to watch her granddaughter, Clair.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Ortiz, her father and mother Dennis and Dorthy Collins. She is survived by her daughters Jodi and Jessica Ortiz, brother Michael Collins all of Napa, Ca. She is also survived by her step-daughters Michelle Drew of Napa, Ca, Cynthia (Thomas) Cook of Maui, Hi, Elaine (Tim) Nguyen of San Jose, Ca, grandchildren Clair Ortiz, Ciera Lenning, and Edan Nguyen.
Please join the family on Friday April 30, 2021 at Tulocay Cemetery for a viewing in the chapel from 10:30am-1:30pm followed by an outdoor service under the carport at 1:30pm.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Kathleen Ortiz, please visit our floral store.