Kathleen Quaife, one of the best 2D effects animators that ever lived, passed away in her sleep last week, way too young. I first met Katie in the late eighties, doing commercials for Duck Soup Produckions in Santa Monica. We would work together again on the feature Rover Dangerfield, on which she headed the effects department. Katie was the adult in the room full of goofy animators. Did she enjoy our antics, or did she just tolerate us patiently? There was a little glint in her eye that makes me think the former was the truth.
After Rover, I would run into her now and then, either at Dave Spafford's Friday night house parties, or Bill and Sue Kroyer's Christmas parties. She was part of my animation family, back when the industry was small and everyone knew each other. I last saw her in 2018, at Rebecca Rees' art show at the Animation Guild. She was there with her boyfriend, Mike Cedeno, and she seemed so happy, still with that little glint in her eye.
My condolences to Mike. And godspeed, Katie.
-Steve
