Kathryn Ann Anderson

Kathryn Ann (Piper) Anderson, our deeply loved mother, grandmother, and cherished wife and friend is finally resting peacefully. She departed this earth on December 11, 2023, at 2:42 pm surrounded by loved ones while in home hospice care.

Kathryn “Katie” was born September 6, 1957, to Robert Ellis Piper and Anita Wixom in Ogden, UT near the Washington Terrace area. She was the oldest of four children. Their childhood was spent in the Ogden area, and she spent many days there enjoying her family and friends. Her mother remarried Shigato Tokifuji following the death of her father in 1964, Katie had profound love for her “Dad”.

Katie loved to experience the unfamiliar, she was always looking for an opportunity to learn something new. She traveled a lot during her adolescence, mostly around northern Utah. One adventure took her to Southern Idaho, where she met and married Kevin Kezerian in Burley. They welcomed their daughter Candice Lynn in 1977. They returned to Utah to be closer to Katie’s family where she had more help raising her daughter after her divorce from Kevin. Candice and Katie spent their time together with close friends and learning from one another about motherhood and family.

During this time, she took a job working at Smith’s Food and Drug specializing in cosmetics at their Roy location. It was here that Katie really thrived and began to blossom into an amazing customer service representative. She was a natural salesperson. She enjoyed meeting new clients and encouraging them to create their own signature look. She was a phenomenal make-up artist. While employed at Smith’s she fell for one of her coworkers, Derek Smith. They were soon married, and their Smith’s careers took them both to Riverton Wyoming. Derek worked as the store’s Director, and Katie’s career really caught fire.

Katie had amazing leadership skills and opened many new cosmetic departments for several different locations. She trained new women in the art of make-up, and in self-esteem. Katie took a management position in Casper, Wyoming where they also welcomed her second daughter, Sharon Anita in 1986. They completed their family with the birth of Katie’s third daughter, the sweet and beautiful Keisha Chantalle in 1990. The family of five spent lots of time outdoors gardening and also loved to cook food and entertain friends and family. Their time in Casper was cut short by the start of another adventure.

The family relocated again back to Northern Utah. Katie truly loved the outdoors and delighted in working with her hands. Every home of hers always had a large garden with all varieties of fruits and vegetables. She was known especially for growing giant pumpkins. She shared the thrill of Halloween with her daughters, and it easily became a family favorite. She would later pass this love for Hallow’s Eve to her granddaughters as she would grow them giant pumpkins too.

Life continued and with that Katie faced many challenges, including divorces and new medical tribulations. She finally settled in her dream home in the little town of Malta Idaho where she met the love of her life, her soulmate and best friend, Shanon Dean Anderson. They were married in August of 2009. They built a lovely life together. They enjoyed camping, four wheeling, and barbequing in their back yard around their spectacular fountain. They shared many laughs here and the fountain will always be a special place for all who knew and loved Katie.

Katie and Shanon did many things together, visited state parks, adopted beloved pets, woodworking projects, and became grandparents together. Katie was always going to an event, dance, game, or party to celebrate one of her children or grandkids. She will be sorely missed at these events in the future, but her family finds peace knowing Katie’s struggle with pain is finally over. In our minds and hearts, she is the ultimate champion of all her battles.

Katie was preceded in death by her parents, and stepfather Shig. She is survived by her loving husband and best friend Shanon; her daughters, Candice (Aron) Smith from Eagle Mountain, Utah, Anita (John) Goodrich from Heyburn, Idaho, and Keisha (Trenell) Smith from Layton, Utah. Her loving granddaughters Sophee, Shailey, Maycie, Stevie, and Scarlett.

In lieu of a funeral, her family and close friends will hold a celebration of life in the Spring of 2024. The family would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers during this difficult time; to the staff of Lil One’s Dayschool and many friends, to Jeff Cooper and Cooper Equipment, and many others who have donated time and assets to support Katie’s loved ones. Arrangements are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

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