Obituaries

Kathleen “Kathy” Nolan, retired District 2 worker

Note: The following obituary appeared in the Red Bluff Daily News.

Kathleen “Kathy” Nolan (Fillmer), 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 14 in Redding.

Kathy was born November 23, 1945, in Tilden, Nebraska, to Leonard and Verna Fillmer. She and her family moved to Corning in 1955, where she grew up and graduated from Corning High School. She married John Nolan in 1973 in Corning.

Kathy met lifelong friends while working at Fish & Wildlife in Red Bluff and finished her career at Caltrans in Redding, where she retired in 2010.

Kathyaka Grandma (or “Gram”) rarely missed her grandchildren’s games and activities. She spent countless hours in her garden, was an avid quilter, an unmatched bargain hunter, and a devoted volunteer at the Our Lady of Mercy food bank. She loved to travel, loved to laugh, loved spending time with family and friends, and adored her pets.

Kathy was preceded in death by her husband, John Nolan. She is survived by her son, Dennis Nolan, and daughter-in-law, Tammy, of Cottonwood; her daughter, Kelly Kane, and son-in-law, John, of Santa Rosa; six grandchildren, Sabrina (30), Chris (27), Emily (20), Katelyn (17), Benjamin (17), and Finley (15); her brothers, Jack of Florence, Oregon, and Gerald of Colfax; several nieces and nephews; and many special friends.

Rosie, her loyal dog, remains by the family’s side.

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Thomas (Tom) Rut, retired engineer

Note: The following obituary appeared in The Stockton Record.

Thomas (Tom) Rut passed away suddenly in Stockton on August 20 at the age of 83.

He was born in Cicero, Illinois, to Marie and Nathaniel Rut. He is survived by his younger sister Nancy, daughter Laura, son Joe, and grandchildren Max and Krysta. He was married to Patricia (Pat), nee Moers, for 59 years until she passed in 2024. He was a devoted husband and loving father/grandfather.

Tom graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1965 with a B.S. in civil engineering. He moved to California after graduation to work for Caltrans and eventually held licenses in civil and structural engineering. He worked as an engineer for 43 years, including 33 with Caltrans, culminating with a management position with the California State Bridge Maintenance Engineers.

He was responsible for many aspects of bridge maintenance and design for 25,000 bridges in California. During his time there he wrote and presented papers on bridge design and maintenance, including at international conferences in both Denmark and Korea. In addition, he was vice president of two different consulting firms and ran his own consulting firm for 21 years. He encouraged others to go into engineering by supporting scholarships and speaking at schools.

Tom was very active in the Stockton community. With his young kids he was a Boy Scout leader, Little League coach, and Bobby Sox coach. He was always active in his church and had many close friends there.

He and Pat joined a Model A Ford car club, The Delta A’s, in the 1990s and they relished their group meetings, touring trips and other events. He wrote several articles for the Model A Restorer Magazine. He worked on the Model A judging standards committee, of which he was made Chairman in 2018, and helped write and publish the updated judging standards. He was running for board member of a national Model A group (MAFCA) when he passed.

He loved that his involvement in the club led to so many friendships and adventures later in life and wanted to make sure that opportunity was available for others.

Tom loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping, fishing and boating. He also loved trains, both model and real. He celebrated his 80th birthday by driving a steam locomotive. He also golfed regularly and loved a good game of cribbage or Scrabble.

Tom will be remembered for his many accomplishments but more so for his loving, friendly nature. He could talk to anyone and make them comfortable. He was always willing to lend a hand, whether it was helping with engineering, car or personal issues. He had a long, full, and happy life. He will be deeply missed by all of his family and friends.