Kathryn Susanna Zarka

Kathryn “Kathy” Susanna Zarka (nee Nichols) - April 21, 1951 - August 18, 2026

Kathy was born on April 21, 1951 to Janney Nichols and Alice Nichols (nee Rainich), US expats living in Venezuela. She spent her first fifteen years there, surrounded by a beauty she never stopped talking about. The country gave her a lifelong love of warm, tropical places, a real curiosity about other cultures, and a heart that was always happiest in the sun.

She grew up beside her twin brother, Mike - her other half, the person who meant everything to her. Losing him at nineteen was the great sorrow of her life, and she carried him with her ever after.

At fifteen, the family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Kathy came into her own as a total hippie - living for music, for the counterculture, and for being wide awake in a changing world. After Mike died, she took that spirit on the road for a while, traveling and throwing caution to the wind the way people do once they’ve learned how precious time really is.

Then, in 1982, she met Steve. She was waiting tables in Chicago; he was the handsome military guy who came in for the food and stayed for her. They fell fast and hard - and so the story goes. Together they lived in Germany and Florida before settling in Kansas, where they welcomed their daughter, Alice.

Kansas is where Kathy found her purpose. As an educational counselor at Kansas State University - work she loved so much she went back for her master’s degree - she devoted herself to helping students find their footing and their futures. She made lifelong friends of colleagues and students alike, and got to spend her days doing what she believed in most.

When she retired, she moved to San Diego to be near Alice, her only child and best friend. There she found love again with Walter, her partner and companion these past eight years. The two of them split their time between his ranch in the San Diego countryside and the coast in La Jolla, and those were good, happy years.

Kathy’s joys were simple and her contentment was enviable. She tended her dozens of plants and adored Alice’s dog, Layla, and the animals on Walter’s ranch. She took long walks by the beach. She loved good food - especially desserts and fruit - things as sweet as her spirit. She cheered on her Kansas State Wildcats and her Kansas City teams every chance she got, and she’d never turn down a board game. She was, simply, a friend to all. Kathy will be remembered for her kindness, her humor, and the eccentric, one-of-a-kind spirit that made everyone who knew her love her.

Kathy is survived by her loving daughter, Alice.

Please join us in the Celebration of Life of our beloved Kathy Zarka.

Sunday, September 20th from 2-6pm Bravo Family Mortuary 4427 Rainier Avenue San Diego, CA 92120

The theme of the afternoon is celebrating her life and who she was - her fierce, free, independent spirit, her warmth, her love of life, her sense of humor, her relationships, and the impact she made on those lucky enough to be in her orbit. The family will invite everyone in attendance to share memories and stories of Kathy. Think of it as a celebration where Kathy is the guest of honor.

There will be an opportunity to visit with Kathy directly and send her off with your love and well wishes. Kathy will be dressed in white, and we will have mostly white decor. We invite all to embody her lightness with the dress code.

Please reach out to Alice (Kathy’s daughter) ASAP to let us know if you plan to attend. You can reach her at alicezarka@gmail.com.

One request: Please help Alice by gathering and sending any photos of Kathy that you might have from throughout the years. You can share them using the space below or email directly to Alice.

Please note that the service will be live-streamed for anyone who cannot travel to San Diego to join us.

In lieu of flowers, honor Kathy the way she’d like best: plant a tree, tend something green, take a slow walk by the water, or do something sweet - eat dessert first, sit in the sun, call someone you love.