the creator of
jolly molly
OBITUARY
April 1946 - October 2022
Kathy Gordon (Mary K. Hunt) died peacefully in her sleep at home with her family. She had terminal Peripheral Artery Disease.
Kathy was born in 1946 and grew up in Hollywood, California. She graduated from Hollywood HS in 1963, was soloist at the First United Methodist Church of Hollywood. She attended LA City College as a Theatre Arts Major. She won the San Francisco Opera Regional Auditions in 1969 and was invited to the Merola Program for young singers in San Francisco. Her professional operatic debut was as “First Lady” at the Shrine Auditorium in LA Opera Company’s, “The Magic Flute”. She sang at the Hollywood Bowl and the Shrine Auditorium. To put it lightly: she had some PIPES!
She went to UCLA and graduated from Immaculate Heart College with a BA in Theatre Arts with a minor in Music. She met and married photographer Alexander “Sascha” Maurice Gordon and moved east of Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1974 after having her daughter. She then moved to Portland where she performed with Portland Civic Theater (including the role of Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music”), sang with Portland Opera, and directed the Midway Christian Church choir.
She created her own business and character as “Jolly Molly the Clown” in 1980 and was recognized as one of Portland’s premiere children’s entertainers and local icons for over 30 years. She also worked as a legal secretary, and secretary to Engineering Faculty at the University of Portland.
Kathy moved to Seaside, Oregon in 2001 where she was soloist at the Christian Science Church, performed in “Shanghaied in Astoria”, taught voice and piano, and served as President of the NW Performing Arts, Inc.
Kathy loved traveling and enjoyed her trip to Europe with her daughter in 1993 and her travels to India, Nepal and Egypt in 2010. She also found great pleasure in taking long walks on the beach with her dogs.
Kathy as “Jolly Molly” often said, “I can’t make you happy, but I can amuse you for a little while.”, and she did. She entertained thousands of children and adults throughout her lifetime.
She told the children to, “Be kind to each other, because that is how we begin to build a peaceful world.”
She is survived by her daughter, three grand children, family in New York, Utah and friends in Hollywood, Seaside and Portland.
April 1946 - October 2022
Kathy Gordon (Mary K. Hunt) died peacefully in her sleep at home with her family. She had terminal Peripheral Artery Disease.
Kathy was born in 1946 and grew up in Hollywood, California. She graduated from Hollywood HS in 1963, was soloist at the First United Methodist Church of Hollywood. She attended LA City College as a Theatre Arts Major. She won the San Francisco Opera Regional Auditions in 1969 and was invited to the Merola Program for young singers in San Francisco. Her professional operatic debut was as “First Lady” at the Shrine Auditorium in LA Opera Company’s, “The Magic Flute”. She sang at the Hollywood Bowl and the Shrine Auditorium. To put it lightly: she had some PIPES!
She went to UCLA and graduated from Immaculate Heart College with a BA in Theatre Arts with a minor in Music. She met and married photographer Alexander “Sascha” Maurice Gordon and moved east of Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1974 after having her daughter. She then moved to Portland where she performed with Portland Civic Theater (including the role of Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music”), sang with Portland Opera, and directed the Midway Christian Church choir.
She created her own business and character as “Jolly Molly the Clown” in 1980 and was recognized as one of Portland’s premiere children’s entertainers and local icons for over 30 years. She also worked as a legal secretary, and secretary to Engineering Faculty at the University of Portland.
Kathy moved to Seaside, Oregon in 2001 where she was soloist at the Christian Science Church, performed in “Shanghaied in Astoria”, taught voice and piano, and served as President of the NW Performing Arts, Inc.
Kathy loved traveling and enjoyed her trip to Europe with her daughter in 1993 and her travels to India, Nepal and Egypt in 2010. She also found great pleasure in taking long walks on the beach with her dogs.
Kathy as “Jolly Molly” often said, “I can’t make you happy, but I can amuse you for a little while.”, and she did. She entertained thousands of children and adults throughout her lifetime.
She told the children to, “Be kind to each other, because that is how we begin to build a peaceful world.”
She is survived by her daughter, three grand children, family in New York, Utah and friends in Hollywood, Seaside and Portland.
