Joan Charlotte Catt

Joan Charlotte (Robinette) Catt was born on October 27, 1940, to Amos and Bernice Robinette in Council, Idaho.  Joan grew up in Robinette, Oregon and later Homestead, Oregon.  Her school years were in Robinette, in a one room schoolhouse taught by her mother, Bernice.

Joan was married four times, to Leston Halley, Raymond (Rusty) Arp, Ronny Schaffan, and Tom Catt.

It was through Ronny Schaffan that Joan found her calling, as a businesswoman. Raising and selling horses would be her profession over the next 40 years.  In 1966, Joan and Ronny moved to the Seattle area, and in 1969, after separating, Joan moved back to Halfway, Oregon where she raised two sons, and pursued her dream for the horse business.  Joan lived in Halfway until 1981, when she moved to Baker Oregon, then Ontario, Oregon, Burns, Oregon, and finally Nampa, Idaho.

While in Nampa, she began working at Walmart, as the horse business was becoming too difficult to manage.  

In 2008, Joan made Pendleton, Oregon her home, and where she retired.  

Among Joan’s joys in life were horses and rodeos.  After she retired, Joan loved to watch the horse races at Portland Meadows. She also traveled to watch many of the big rodeos in the US including the National Finals Rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Days of 76 Rodeo, and of course the Pendleton Round-Up.  Having family and friends around during the Round-Up was one of her favorite things and she looked forward to it every year.  

In 2019, Joan moved to an assisted living facility in Portland, Oregon, near her son Gayland.

Joan passed away on October 03, 2023 peacefully in her sleep, at Saint Anthony Village, Portland, Oregon. Joan’s memory will live on with her family and friends, and with the many whom she shared her love for horses.

Joan is survived by her sisters-in-law, Cheryl Robinette of Halfway, Oregon and Marge Degitz, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, her sons Ray Halley and wife Cath of Palmer, Alaska, Garson Arp and wife Katie of Monmouth, Oregon, and Gayland Arp and wife Diane of Vancouver, Washington.   Other surviving family include her grandchildren Chelsea  Halley, Rachel Halley,  Dani Quinton and Rusty Arp , nieces Tami Degitz, Robin Colwell, La Ree Young, Todd Robinette, Tami Absalonson and Teresa Adams and great-grandson Connor Quinton 

A memorial service will be held on November 04, 2023 at the Lions Club in Halfway, Oregon at 11am.

Reception to follow, In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to  HART (Horses Adaptive Riding and Therapy), or Saint Anthony Village, Portland, Oregon