Kristi Kiley Callaghan

Kristi Kiley Callaghan was born in October 1945 in Volga, South Dakota, to Elaine and Louis Kiley. She passed peacefully at home, with Rolla at her side, in September 2025 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:30 pm on June 20, 2026, at Lookout Point Group Picnic Area, Sue-Meg State Park (formerly Patrick's Point State Park) 5 miles North of Trinidad Ca.

Kristi's family moved several times after leaving South Dakota before settling in North Sacramento, California, where she attended Norte Del Rio High School. An honors student, she took four years of Latin, participated in student government, and formed a close-knit group of friends.

Kristi was one of six siblings. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Lance and Michael, and is survived by her siblings Kimberle (Kim), Shannon, and Kevin, who shared with her a lifetime of stories, bonds, and memories.

In the summer of 1962, while attending a student government leadership training weekend in Lake Tahoe, California, Kristi met Rolla, who was working for the California Department of Forestry. He was instantly swept off his feet by her deep blue eyes, quick wit, and joyful spirit. He never stood a chance-and never wanted one.

They married in June of 1964 and have been blessed with four children: Kristine (Tee), Colleen, Sean (Osean), and Clancy. Kristi was also the proud grandmother (Gram) of seven grandchildren, each of whom brought her immeasurable joy. Nothing lit up her face more than their laughter, their stories, and simply being together.

Kristi lived life with remarkable energy and determination. At one point, she was juggling two jobs, being a devoted homemaker, attending college, and remodeling a house-all at the same time. Amazing!

She found joy in movement and music-biking, fishing, dancing, singing, camping, and snorkeling. Music filled her life, especially old rock and roll. Elvis and Mick Jagger were favorites, though blues and reggae always got her dancing too. She carried the lyrics to countless songs in her memory, and many mornings began with her joyful refrain: "I feel good! Da da da da!"

In 1965, Kristi, Rolla, and Tee moved to Arcata, California, where her love for the North Coast was born. She worked in clerical roles at the Georgia-Pacific pulp mill and later at Humboldt State University as secretary of the School of Science.

In 1968, the family moved to San Jose, California, where Kristi took night classes-including Norwegian-at a nearby junior college. Summers were still devoted to camping and fishing in Trinidad. Tee and Colleen were steady helpers on the boat, and Sean was already checking crab pots at just five days old-a sign of the adventurous spirit that surrounded them all.
As the computer industry transformed San Jose, Kristi and Rolla-now with four children, including a six-month-old Clancy-chose a quieter life and a deeper sense of home. They moved to what became Kristi's forever town: Klamath Falls, Oregon.

There, Kristi worked part-time for UPS, preparing delivery trucks in the early mornings-sometimes using a blowtorch to free frozen doors-before unloading the packages from the semi for sorting. She would then return home, change clothes, and head to college. At the time, there were "road blocks" the handful of female students had to maneuver, but through perseverance and grit, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Computers from Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in 1982. Later, she returned to OIT, teaching a night school class.

In addition to her work at UPS, Kristi became a realtor, a career she truly loved. She also gave generously of her time and heart, volunteering for Wednesday's Child, Rails to Trails, the Klamath City Schools reading program, a member of the Sons of Norway and as a founding member of Friends of Moore Park-quietly leaving her mark on the community she cherished.
Kristi became a devoted University of Oregon football fan, delighting in hugs from Puddles the mascot and getting joyfully rowdy during "Shout" at Autzen Stadium. Go Ducks!

Kristi and her close friend Carolyn shared many organized cycling adventures, from Washington to Louisiana. She also participated in Cycle Oregon and planned self-guided rides through the Gulf Islands of Canada, along the Oregon Coast, and across the United States. In 2010, Kristi and Rolla rode their bikes from the Pacific Ocean near Seattle to the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island, New York. When asked why, Kristi would always answer with a smile, "To get a hot dog at Nathan's."

As life's pace gently slowed, Kristi embraced more travel-going to the East Coast to visit family and exploring Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Jamaica, Bonaire, and Mexico.

For the past 25 years, she spent winters snowbirding in Baja, Mexico, where she formed deep friendships and collected cherished memories. She especially loved fishing for dorado (mahi-mahi) and yellowfin tuna (ahi).

Words can't express how Kristi's passing leaves an enormous void in the lives of those who knew and loved her. Her laughter, strength, kindness, and adventurous spirit remain woven into the hearts of her family and friends, where she will forever be carried.

Kristi, we will love you, always!!