Catherine Mary Malapanes

Catherine Mary Randolph Malapanes passed away suddenly from injuries suffered in an accident on May 30, 2024.

Catherine (Kate) was the only daughter of Patricia Ann Caya and David Ivan Randolph. She was born in Boston, MA, on January 20, 1963. At the age of 5, she and her family moved to Valley Station, KY, where her father was stationed at Fort Knox. She graduated from the Advanced Program at Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville.

While still in high school, Kate had identified her desire to be in law enforcement and investigation and was told by counselors that the fastest route to her goals would be to complete a degree in accounting and serve in the military. At graduation from the University of Louisville with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, Kate's parents pinned on her U.S. Air Force 2nd Lieutenant's bars as part of the commissioning ceremony. Her first assignment was to complete the Navy Language College Program, now known as the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Program. She reported to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, AK, upon completion.

Staying focused on her goal, she took the first opportunity to join the Department of Naturalization and Immigration and reported to Quantico, VA, to complete her training. It was a tradition at the school to present the individual with the top score in each class with a certificate of achievement. For Kate's graduation, they presented her with a notebook with each certificate, as she was at the top in all the classes, even marksmanship. She was assigned to the Anchorage, AK, office for the first seven years of her service. Her leadership skills were soon recognized, and she was transferred to the Seattle, WA Region as a Supervisor in 1996 and eventually to Grand Junction, CO., as a Regional Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 1999.

Kate's first assignment in Grand Junction was to manage the construction and opening of the Grand Junction Security Holding Facility. At her retirement from Homeland Security in 2013, individuals from each of her previous duty stations were in attendance, a tribute to her commitment to her position and caring for her staff.

Kate did not stay retired long. She took a security guard position at the local hospital. Later, she obtained her Private Investigator License and started her own company – Ketchum Investigations and Training.

In 1987, while in Alaska, Kate met her soulmate and partner in adventure, James (Jim) N. Malapanes. They were married on January 26, 1992, during the Superbowl and after a morning of Ice Rescue training. They celebrated their 30th Anniversary just before Jim died in 2022. Kate and Jim were a team. They were volunteer firemen in every location they lived. They were active Lions and would frequently serve Thanksgiving dinner at the local Lions Club. They were active in the Mesa County Search and Rescue ATV and the Mesa County Search and Rescue Ground teams. Members of the K9 Search and Rescue team based in Dolores, CO, and Western Slope Search Dogs. Kate was an evaluator for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) and spent countless hours traveling and giving classes throughout the western states. In 2021, Kate was named the NASAR Instructor of the Quarter. The last few weeks of her life were spent installing surveillance and communication equipment in a trailer to form a rescue command center.

Kate was a dog lover and has always had at least one dog. German Shepard Kenai proceeded her in death, and Black Lab Blackie was like Velcro at her side whenever they were together. Both Kenai and Blackie were well-trained search rescue dogs and participated in many of Kate's training. Kate found a companion dog lover in Colorado, Donna Tessier, and they built a dog training center together.

Kate is survived by brothers David (and Cheryl) Randolph of Louisville, KY, and Thomas Randolph of Eagle, ID, niece Teresa Randolph, of Wenatchee, WA, nephew Jeremy (and Heather) Randolph of Louisville, KY, stepmother, Darlene Dougherty of Eagle, ID, stepdaughters Dimitra Steeley (and Dr. Mark Steeley) of Rockford, TN and Christina Jones of Sparta, TN and the girls' children.

Kate was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Jim.

A celebration of life will be held at Brown's Cremation and Funeral Service, 904 N 7th Street, Grand Junction, CO, on July 11, 2024, at 10:30 AM. The family asks friends to join them in sharing memories. The Honors Ceremony, including a color guard, will follow at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, 2830 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction, CO, at 1:00 PM. Special tribute is paid to the Western Slope Search Dogs and Western Slope ATV Association.

Tribute video for Kate Malapanes 

http://katemalapanesmemories.thomr.com/wp-content/videos/SlideshowKateMalapanesMemorialv1.02.002.mp4