Kathleen “Kitty” Neff Oliver Walker passed away peacefully on August 27, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, following injuries sustained in a tragic fall.

Family and friends are warmly invited to remember and celebrate Kitty’s life on Saturday, October 10, 2026. A memorial service will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline. The celebration will continue with a hospitality gathering from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CityView Celebrations at Trimble Pointe, featuring food, beverages, and music.

Come ready to share your favorite memories, celebrate a life well lived, and, if the music moves you, dance in Kitty’s honor.

Kitty will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband, Harry, at Rock Island National Cemetery, bringing them together once again.

For the past 15 years, Kitty made Colorado her home, where she was a loving and ever-present part of the lives of her daughter, Julie, and son, Steven. She treasured being close to her grandchildren, Jake, Luke, and Lily, sharing in the everyday moments of their childhood and watching them grow. In April 2025, her family grew once more with the arrival of her beloved great-granddaughter, Emilia. She also shared a special bond with Steven’s dog, Jack, her loyal companion who was rarely far from her side.

Although Kitty built a beautiful life surrounded by family in Colorado, she always remained a Moline girl at heart.

Born in 1943 in Moline, Illinois, to Lorene and William Neff, Kitty was the second youngest of eight children. After losing her mother at a young age, she was raised in large part by her older sisters, Marilyn and Pat, helping shape the deep importance family would hold throughout her life.

A graduate of Moline High School’s Class of 1961, Kitty remained connected to her hometown and lifelong friends. At 83, she already had her flight booked to return to Moline for her 65th high school reunion. It’s a fitting reflection of the way she lived: independent, social, and always looking forward to the next gathering or adventure.

Throughout her working years, Kitty spent many years as a dental assistant and became a familiar face around Moline as one of the city’s meter maids. Even in a job where handing out parking tickets wasn’t exactly a recipe for popularity, Kitty somehow managed to make more friends than enemies. She later worked at Quad City Engineering, where she finished her career before retiring.

Kitty loved music, but perhaps even more, she loved to dance. Clogging, country-western, and ballroom dancing were all part of her life, and she could regularly be found dancing the Tennessee Waltz with her beloved late husband, Harry Walker, who served in the United States Air Force.

Kitty and Harry also shared a love of Euchre and regularly played in tournaments. She remained a formidable opponent throughout her life. Even when her memory wasn’t quite as sharp as it once had been, put a hand of Euchre in front of her and she could still beat the best of us.

She loved to bake, leaving behind a delicious legacy of family favorites. From Grandma’s no-bake cookies and Easter lamb cake to peanut butter balls that no one will ever make quite like she did. Her recipes became traditions, and those traditions became treasured memories.

Kitty also loved to travel. Her adventures took her from London, France, and Greece to Botswana and South Africa, with the latter being an especially treasured trip shared with her daughter, Julie. Yet some of her happiest travel memories were family trips to Mexico with her children and grandchildren.

She was always willing to give something a try. Snorkeling may not have been her favorite, and roller coasters weren’t necessarily high on her list either, but Kitty wasn’t one to sit on the sidelines. She got in the water. She got on the ride. She participated.

That was Kitty.

She danced. She traveled. She played cards. She baked. She gathered people around her, made friends wherever she went, and rarely let anything slow her down.

Above all, Kitty was enormously proud of her family. She is survived by her brothers, Chuck and Larry; her children, Julie and Steven; her grandchildren, Jake, Luke, and Lily; her great-granddaughter, Emilia; and extended family and countless friends whose lives were brighter for having known her.

Somewhere along the way, the family realized that “Kitty,” when paired with her grandchildren’s names—Jake, Luke, and Lily—sounded suspiciously like a collection of characters from an old Western saloon. It was an accidental family theme that somehow seemed perfectly fitting.

Kitty was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harry Walker; her parents, Lorene and William Neff; and five of her siblings, Bob, Denny, Marilyn, Pat, and Cheryl.

Kitty lived fully. She loved her family deeply, traveled widely, laughed often, made friends easily, and never stopped finding reasons to get up and dance.

Her family will miss her beyond measure, but she leaves behind much more than memories. She leaves recipes that will still be made, stories that will still be told, family traditions that will continue, and music that will forever make those who loved her think of Kitty.

And whenever the Tennessee Waltz begins to play, we’ll know exactly who should be dancing.

Stories and condolences may be shared at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.