Kathleen Roan

Kathleen Evelyn Roan (née Swanson)

80, of Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, passed away in her home on Saturday, December 11, 2021, surrounded by her family. As a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, she will be dearly missed.

Kathy was born on October 6, 1941, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Uno and Marion Swanson. Growing up in the Como Park area, Kathy attended Tilden Elementary School and Murray High School. While in high school, Kathy met Tom. They got married on June 21, 1963. Kathy graduated from the University of Minnesota, majoring in home economics education. Kathy taught early childhood parenting classes and ESL at Independent School District 622 for many years.

Kathy was a kind, loving person whose family and faith mattered the most. She loved being a stay-at-home mother and taking care of her grandchildren. She proudly shared her Swedish heritage with her family. Kathy was an excellent baker, cook, and seamstress. She enjoyed travelling with her husband, especially to Hawaii and Mexico. She gracefully endured an eight-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Her lovely smile and kind heart were with her to the very end.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Uno and Marion Swanson, and her sister-in-law Barb Swanson. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Tom; her children Cindy (David) Epland, Kristina (Don) Tonseth, Tom Roan (Nancy Bowser), and Carin (Jim) Erickson; her grandchildren Matthew (Jamie) Epland, Laura Epland, Krystal Tonseth, Peter Epland (Elizabeth O’Brien), Hannah Tonseth, Peyton Erickson, and Logan Erickson; her brother Bruce Swanson; her sister Sonia (Ron) Churchill; and many other loving family members and friends.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. A visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. As a lifelong member of the Lutheran church, memorials are preferred to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.