Katherine E. Stone
September 9, 1939 – November 15, 2021
Katherine E. Stone (Kathy) died from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease on November 15, 2021. She was born September 9, 1939, in Brigham City, Utah to Paul and Evelyn Watson. She grew up in the Oakland Bay Area but moved to Calusa, California in her senior year of High School in 1957. She enrolled at UC Berkley in 1957 as the only woman chemistry major at the University. She left after two years to marry Steven Stone. They had two children, Brian Stone and Julianna Stone de Melo. They were divorced in 1970 and Kathy followed her parents to Santa Monica and returned to college UCLA where she graduated as an English major 1971. She then enrolled at Loyola Law School where she graduated cum laude in 1974. After graduation she served as a deputy attorney general for the State of California. She left the attorney general’s office to enter private practice at Burke Williams and Sorenson in Los Angeles where she became a partner. She left Burke Williams and Sorenson to form her own law firm Freilich, Stone. Leitner & Carlisle in West Los Angeles. She left that firm in 1994 to become of counsel to the Ventura Law Firm now known as Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones & Feingold.
She was a noted expert in Land Use and the California Environmental Quality Act. She represented many public agencies, including cities, counties, and special districts. She was instrumental in preserving sensitive lands such as Bolsa Chica, Madrona Marsh, Ahmanson Ranch, and Wetlands in Arroyo Grande, Bolinas and Oceanside. She was a California State Bar Certified Specialist in appellate law. She argued six cases to the US Supreme Court and many cases to the California Supreme Court, 9th Circuit Court of Appeal and the California Appellate Court. She taught at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. She was a lecturer at numerous seminars throughout the United States. She served as chairman of the public law section of the California State Bar.
A natural beauty as well, she was runner-up Miss California in 1958. She was a student of Martha Graham Modern Dance and won the talent contest with her dancing.
She married J. Roger Myers in 1994. They enjoyed travel throughout the world. She was a patron of the arts, passionate about opera, classical music, ballet, live theatre, old movies and visual arts.
She is survived by her husband J. Roger Myers, her children Brian Stone, and Julianna Stone de Melo (Carlos), stepchildren David Myers (Kelley) and Katherine Carruthers (Thomas), 3 grandchildren and 7 step grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on December 11, 2021, 2:00 p.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 3290 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, California.
Arrangements are under the direction of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, Ventura.