Kathleen "Kat" Crews' Obituary
Kathleen “Kat” Crews was born on February 18, 1982, in Thousand Oaks, California, to Ray and Rhonda Olson. The youngest of four children, she arrived when her oldest sister Debbie was 13, Becky was 6, and Steven was 5.
She never really went by Kathleen—you may have known her as Katie, Kate, or Kat.
As a child, she was always Katie.
At age 7, Katie penned her own character autobiography that captured her personality perfectly: she wrote that she was “cool, funny, [good at] talking, drawing, reading, [and she is] nice.” She finished it with the words: “I love life.” And she truly did.
Katie’s early years were filled with sunshine and beach days in Newbury Park, California, with a short two-year stretch in Redding, Connecticut, before the family returned to California.
From ages 5 through 10, Katie grew up in Huntington Beach, where sand and surf became part of her childhood. The family later moved to Farmington, Utah. She thrived at Viewmont High School, graduating in the year 2000 as a certified dental assistant, and Katie became Kate.
Kate was always a hustler—talented, driven, and unafraid of hard work. She held jobs as a dental assistant and office manager, worked nights at Office Depot and Home Depot, waitressed at a Mexican restaurant, nannied, cleaned houses, worked as a collection agent, and eventually was promoted to finance manager. Her relentless work ethic meant she often balanced two or three jobs at a time.
Kate later pursued studies at Weber State University in Technical Sales and spent a year at Utah Valley University before studying for and passing a series of financial licensing exams including the Securities Industry Essentials exam—to become a personal banker.
At age 25, Kate was diagnosed with breast cancer—the first of five cancers she would bravely face. Even while undergoing chemotherapy in Chicago, she continued to work because she needed health insurance.
Her courage and determination defined her journey. Over the years, she battled and beat breast cancer, malignant melanoma, two separate lung cancers, and later faced osteosarcoma.
In 2019, she learned that all of these cancers were linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Despite these challenges, Kate poured her energy into helping others. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, her providers often asked her to comfort newly diagnosed patients because they knew of her empathy and ability to bring hope. She also found strength in friendships within the Li-Fraumeni community, offering love and support even as she carried her own burdens.
In February 2014, Kate met the love of her life, Steve Crews. They married that August on Ewa Beach in Oahu, Hawaii.
Having always wanted to be a mother, her dream came true on this day and she became a “bonus mom” to Linda, Zac, and Katie Ann. She embraced this role with joy, quickly becoming a steady, loving presence in their lives. Later, her family circle grew to include Krista as a daughter as well.
At that point, it was better not to have two “Katies” in the family, and so Kate became Kat—a name that fit her love of leopard print and her bold, fierce, and vibrant personality.
When Kat and Steve moved to Warner Robins, Georgia, in 2019, she launched her own photography business, Sun Photos LLC. She became a highly sought-after photographer, capturing weddings, senior portraits, galas, and family photos. Kat had a gift for making people feel comfortable and important, and her photos reflected the beauty she saw in others.
In May 2023, Kat and Steve moved to Pinehurst, Georgia, purchasing a 14-acre farmhouse that they filled with love and life. They cared for cows, horses, donkeys, dogs, a cat, and even a gator (OK—they didn’t really care for the gator, but he lived there).
Kat delighted in bottle-feeding a calf rejected by its mother, feeding pears from her tree to the donkeys named “Salt” and “Peppa,” and planting what she proudly called her Salsa Garden. It was the dream life she and Steve had long imagined.
In late 2023, Kat began experiencing jaw pain that was later diagnosed as osteosarcoma. She endured surgeries, chemotherapy, and hospital stays with the same courage that had defined her life.
In June 2025, when the cancer returned and was deemed terminal, Kat chose to focus on spending time with Steve and her family. She and Steve took an impromptu trip to Mexico through the help of her uncles and cousins. She made memories such as riding the Alpine Slide, lighting sparklers, eating Sam’s homemade cinnamon rolls, and she was intentional about treasuring each day.
In her final days, Kat went with her daughter, husband, and a close friend to the tattoo studio she had loved for years.
Many of Kat’s tattoos carried deep personal meaning—and Sunflowers are her favorite. That day, as her loved ones received tattoos in her honor, the artist handed Kat the pen and let her color in the final petals on Steve’s own sunflower—etched forever on his leg. It was a perfect reflection of Kat’s creative spirit and her ability to leave a lasting mark on the lives of those around her.
Kat carried a strong testimony of Jesus Christ throughout her life. Wherever she lived, she found and cherished a faith community. She was at peace knowing she was moving on to a place with no pain and sickness, and her family finds comfort in that assurance.
Kat is survived by her parents, Ray and Rhonda Olson; sisters, Deborah Himes and Becky Beecher; her brother, Steve Olson; her husband, Steve Crews; daughters, Linda Sitler, Katie Ann Crews, and Krista Borman; son, Zac Crews; two bonus grandsons, Payton Gibson and Liam Whitmore; and great-grandson, Daniel Gibson; as well as her many beloved fur-children including her dogs: Paisley Grace, Rusty Pickle, Rosie, Daisy, and her cat Olive. Kat also leaves behind nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends who became family.
She lived life to its fullest, giving her whole heart to those she loved. Today Kat would want us to love big, and—if possible—to wear leopard print.
Kat will be remembered for her strength, her humor, and her fierce love. Or, as 7-year-old Katie would say herself: she loved life!
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