Kay Simpson Traube, 75, passed away on March 10 in Yakima, Washington. Kay was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who left an indelible mark on everyone who knew her.

Born and raised in Check, Virginia, Kay spent her childhood living in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains, playing in the farmland and around her family's general store. While in college at Radford University, she met and fell in love with Philip John Traube, III, a Marine Cadet studying at Virginia Tech. After marrying in 1967, Kay and Phil embarked on many adventures all over the country. Together they moved over 15 times, and Kay was as comfortable in the small towns of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and Keene, New Hampshire, as she was in Chicago and Boston. Kay moved to Yakima in 1996, and loved the many friends she made in her community.

Kay had many skills and talents that led her down several career paths. In her early adulthood she was an educator, shoe store owner, and ad executive for multiple magazines. After raising her two daughters she went back to school for a Masters in Social Work from San Diego State University. As many of her peers were wrapping up their careers, she followed her passion into a new field, becoming a respected nursing home administrator who developed dementia units in several facilities.

Kay loved fiercely, and she treasured spending time with her husband, daughters, and sons-in-law, and talking on the phone to long distance family and friends. Her favorite thing was spoiling her 3 grandchildren, who all miss their "Kay Kay". She had an artistic soul that shined through in her sense of fashion and beautifully decorated houses. From needlepoint to scrapbooking, Kay loved to create works that evoked precious memories. She most recently wrote a book of memoirs for her family that they treasure.

Kay is survived by her husband of 55 years, Phil; her daughters Holly Traube Cordova (Derek Cordova) and Dorian Traube (Steve Hong); her grandchildren Tyler Cordova, Sadie Hong and Caroline Hong; and her siblings Beth Simpson Huddleston, Basil Poff (B.P.) Simpson, Jr. and Willard Charles (Chuck) Simpson, II. She is preceded in death by her parents, Basil Poff Simpson, Sr. and Elizabeth Falls Simpson.