Cathy Dibble Perfect

Cathy Dibble

CATHY DIBBLE PERFECT met her ex-husband in 1972 and didn’t believe his last name was “Perfect.” Yeah right! “Let me see your driver’s license,” she quipped. They married, had three great kids, and pursued any number of hair-brained business ideas. She tired of that and divorced in 1995. It was amicable and they agreed to keep their children’s interests foremost in the decision-making.

“I tell people I have perfect kids and grandkids. 😂😂 As Fred Lee Stenson and I caught up with each other’s lives at the reunion, we agreed our children are our redemption! I must have done some things right; I am truly blessed to have three amazing children: Amber, born in 1975, Brooke in 1980, and John – our 1988 surprise. Amber and her daughter Caitlyn, 16, live nearby in Kern River Valley and we spend a lot of time together. Brooke and her daughter Leila, 17, and son Preston, almost 10, live in Peoria, AZ. We keep Southwest Airlines busy with frequent flights to and from Phoenix. John and my youngest granddaughter Sydney, who turns 3 on New Year’s Eve, live in Stafford, VA, just south of Washington D.C. With that many miles between us, we don’t visit as often as this grandma would like; however, they fly to California as often as possible and it’s given me the opportunity to visit our nation’s capitol.”

Cathy is a cat person and has rescued and been adopted by many felines. Most recently Maisy, a white Scottish fold, was the offspring of her daughter’s cat, Snowflake.

After high school graduation she attended Valley College in Van Nuys for a couple of semesters. She also worked full time and gradually drifted away from school. In 1996 Cathy decided to pick up where she left off and enrolled in classes at Cerro Coso Community College. As a 45-year-old re-entry student she found her niche and excelled! She transferred to California State University Bakersfield and graduated in 2000 with a BA in Communications. She was on a roll and applied to Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at University of Southern California. Cathy was stoked when she was accepted into the graduate program. “You’ll love it,” a friend told her, “but it probably kill you.” She was right! She graduated in 2002 with an MA in Communication Management. Fight on!✌🏼

She took an early and unplanned retirement when her job as managing editor at Kern Valley Sun, a small weekly newspaper in Lake Isabella, was eliminated in 2012. She continues to substitute teach, but she loves having time to work in the garden, read and enjoy the grandchildren.

Her greatest accomplishments are raising three beautiful children and earning a Master’s Degree at the age of 52. And being a Trojan. Fight on!✌🏼

At Burbank High, her priority  was hanging out with friends and taking way too many unauthorized, weekday trips to the beach.

Cathy Dibble Perfect