Katherine Greiling

Katherine T. Greiling was born to Emma and James O’Hara, on May 7, 1928, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Katherine had six sisters and one brother. They all grew up in Brooklyn. Katherine lived through the Great Depression as a little girl and could remember when times were rough and food was scarce, but her family pulled together and always got by.

Katherine recalled tense times during World War II while helping her mother assemble and mail care packages to her big brother James after his aircraft was shot down over Germany. James and his aircrew were prisoners of war for an extended stay, survived prison camp and returned home after the war.

Katherine lost her older sister, Georgiana, to asthma which she developed while volunteering to help families of hay farmers on Long Island, to get through tough times during World War II. Katherine told stories of “the good old days” of life in Brooklyn after the war; back when things were much different in that city.

Katherine met her late husband, John Frederick Greiling, who lived in the same neighborhood as her family. John was friends with her older brother James, throughout childhood and on. Katherine married John Greiling after he survived serving with the U.S. Army during World War II in the Pacific. Katherine and John raised six children in Brooklyn, and later moved to East Islip on Long Island, New York, in 1966.

Their oldest son John was killed September of 1966 with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam shortly after the family relocated to East Islip. Son Robert also served two tours of duty with the Marine Corps in Vietnam after his brother John. Robert passed away in 2010.

Katherine worked in the housekeeping department in a nursing home in East Islip into the late 1970‘s. She enjoyed taking her youngest son, Thomas, for early morning bicycle rides to the Great South Bay, to put a blanket out and have warm coffee and breakfast on the beach while watching the evening’s light of the Fire Island lighthouse fade as the new day’s sun rose.

Katherine and her husband John enjoyed working in their beautiful yards, planting and tending gardens, flowers and trees on Long Island and later in Sutton, Alaska, where they relocated in August of 1978 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Katherine and John spent their retirement days helping and enjoying raising their many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Her family remembers how she always wanted to feed them. She especially loved feeding her grandchildren! As soon as you walked in the door, she would ask “Are you hungry?” And even if your answer was “no,” the food would come out anyway, every time. “Sit down, eat something.” She was known as “Nan” to all who knew her.

Katherine enjoyed reading non-fiction books, especially about the movie stars and their lives. She also enjoyed reading the newspaper each morning, working on puzzles, taking care of her Boston Terrier “Bosco” and watching the birds outside her window as they came to frolic on the many bird feeders and water baths.

Katherine was a Christian and was preceded in death by husband, John, on May 13, 1998. Katherine developed Alzheimer’s and dementia in recent years, and spent the last seven months in an assisted living facility. Katherine recently returned to her home in Sutton, and passed away very peacefully under the care of and surrounded by her family on April 21, 2016.

Katherine was the last of her siblings and their spouses. She was very happy to return to her home. She is survived by her daughters, Barbara Schiermbock, Kathleen Greiling, Patricia Muth, and son in-law, David Muth; son, Thomas Greiling and daughter in-law, Karen; 17 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Humane Society or Hospice organizations in the Mat-Su Valley.

Arrangements were under the direction of Valley Funeral Home, Wasilla Chapel.