With regret, the family of Cathy Jean Calkins announces her death following a long struggle with illness on June 11, 2026 at age 72. Cathy was proudly born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into the home of Don and Ruth (Wickham) Calkins (both U.S. Navy, Ret.), on April 4, 1954.

After attending Sombra del Monte Elementary School, Madison Junior High, and Sandia High School, Cathy would work at Levi Strauss sewing jeans and put herself through nursing school at the then University of Albuquerque. A great proponent of education and the liberal arts, she would later fund her own degrees in history and teaching from the University of New Mexico, as the first person in her family to pursue higher education. She did this while working through a decades-long career in nursing to support herself and bring up a child as a single woman. Although she became college-educated, she proudly wore the label of “working-class,” never caring to be perceived as above anyone, or as anyone other than who she was. Cathy lived a “paycheck to paycheck” life yet her passion lay in writing and photography. At various junctures her work was featured in prominent and prestigious poetry journals; she had finished a book of poetry.

The quintessential American girl and child of the 60s, Cathy was an independent free spirit, who lived a life unapologetically on her own terms. She loved rock n’ roll, baseball, movies, the outdoors, and above all, animals. Her greatest memories were of time spent with her mother, father, sister, and later her daughter, in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. There they fished and camped with their dogs and neighborhood dogs. Her life was never lived without a cat and she had a passion for animal activism. She was most free during road-trips through the desert and joyrides through the Albuquerque metro area, her lifelong home, to the tune of classic rock.

Cathy prided herself on her individualism, self-reliance, work ethic, code of honor, determination, and resilience. She tried her best to honor and be guided by the values and principles of her Greatest Generation parents. Even to her final years, she would remain a great family genealogist and oral historian. Coming from a military family, she had the utmost love and respect for our armed forces. She was a patriot and believed in the ideals of the United States.

Cathy is preceded in death by her father, Donald Fred Calkins; her mother, Ruth Marie (Wickham) Calkins; and little sister, Donna Kim Calkins – each of Albuquerque, NM. She is survived by her daughter, Addie Kaen (David Kaen), and grandson Thomas Calkins Kaen of New York City. She is also survived by cousins Jeff Thrift of California and Alabama, Joanne (Wickham) Fillion of Virginia, and Nancy (Calkins) Malone of Oklahoma.

Per Cathy’s wishes, there will be no traditional visitation, funeral, or committal service. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to Animal Humane of New Mexico.