Alis volat propriis / She flies on her own wings

Dr. Catherine 'Katie' Moreno Branson, Ph.D (b. Catherine Rebecca Moreno), of Portland, OR, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 19th, 2021 at her childhood home in Coronado, CA. She was 46. She is survived by her husband Steve, her children Owen and Chloe, her brother Jesse, and her parents Pamela and Steven Moreno.

Katie was born in San Diego, CA, and spent her childhood in Idaho and Southern California. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her BA in International Development Studies. She met her future-husband in 1997, and they were happily married for 21 years. She spent her final years in Oregon, where she loved to bike, swim, and hike.

She received a PhD and Masters Degree in Public Health from UCLA, and helped many at-risk populations though her work as a Senior Epidemiologist for the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS), and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Katie will be remembered as a beautiful, intelligent, tolerant, and vibrant being with an abundance of charity and a desire to make our world a better, more colorful place. She was a devoted mother, talented artist, loved music and dancing, and was passionate about defending the environment and human rights. Her absence will be deeply felt by the many friends, relatives, and colleagues whose lives she filled with light, laughter, and joy.

'Enterprise' Memorial Spaceflight

Katie's ashes were launched into space aboard Celestis' Enterprise Memorial Spaceflight Mission #20 on January 8th, 2024, at 2:18 EST from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

The ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan CERT-1 Launch Vehicle has deployed the Centaur module containing cremated remains and DNA into deep space, where it will become known as 'Enterprise Station' once it enters an eternal, heliocentric orbit between Earth, Mars, and beyond.

You can read more about the mission at the Vulcan Centaur CERT-1 information page.

October 2022 - 'In Time With You'

Katie's husband Steve, performing as SARU, has released a song titled In Time With You commemorating their time together.

I wrote this melody for our wedding day, and this version commemorates the 25 years we spent together before she suddenly and unexpectedly departed this world. She was the foundation of everything I have accomplished, and this song is a celebration of her unique beauty, tenderness, and compassion.

Visit Bandcamp to hear the song.