Kathleen Odenwald, who worked at Cal Poly Pomona for 16 years, died June 7. She was 75.

Odenwald first worked as a University Police Department dispatcher from July 1998 to June 2000 before taking a position in Annual Fund, where she remained until 2002. She was hired as a budget analyst for Alumni & External Relations in 2002 and worked as a gift processing specialist for the Office of Advancement Services from 2007 until she retired in July 2014.

“Kathy had a huge heart and served as a mentor to many students over the years,” said Melissa Riordan, executive director of Alumni and External Relations. “She could brighten a room with her laugh and always found the silver lining in any situation.”

Francine Ramirez, a presidential aide in the Office of the President, knew Odenwald well and described her as a woman dedicated to her Catholic faith and her children and grandchildren.

“She was a good listener,” Ramirez said. “She was like a mother figure to her student assistants. She also loved making jewelry. She came to us later in life, so she had had all of these different jobs with great stories to tell.”

A public viewing will be held Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 14085 Payton Drive, Chino Hills. A funeral Mass will be said at 11 a.m. at the church, and interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 2161 Fullerton Road, Rowland Heights.

The mortuary has a guest book available online where family and friends can share memories.