Kay Haskell Seraphine passed away peacefully in her sleep after a three year battle with Parkinson’s Disease on December 31, 2015. Kay is survived by her husband Del, son Jeffery and family of Fullerton, California and son Stan and family of Trophy Club, Texas.
She was born in Vevay, Indiana in 1933 the daughter of the late, Nelson W. and Jeanette “Jeanne” (Sullivan) Haskell. They were the former owners of Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home in Vevay, Indiana. She earned an AA degree from Stevens College in Columbia, Missouri then graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Purdue University. After graduation she joined American Airlines as a stewardess based in New York City. She then transferred to Los Angeles where she met and married her husband Del. After raising two sons she and Del moved to Huntington Beach. She became active in local parties and served on the Environmental Board for four years while she studied computer science at Coastline Community College. At the age of fifty-five she worked for a local printing supply company where she created and managed their customer data base.
Besides long distance swimming her other hobbies were gardening and then she amassed a large collection of books in the mystery genre. She became known to mystery book store owners all over the west coast from Oregon to San Diego. She also reviewed new publications for many publishers.
Honoring her wishes there will be no service. She will be cremated and interred in the channel between 17th Street and Catalina Island where she photographed the sunset hundreds of times and claimed it to be one of the most beautiful places of Earth.