Katherine Taveras, 50, Battled Cancer With 'Resiliency'

RIVER EDGE, NJ — Katherine Kenney Taveras was a fierce advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness. She fought the disease for five years before dying on Jan. 8, her family said.

Taveras was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias Spain to a Finnish mother and an American father. A loving wife, devoted, accomplished mother, and a genuine friend, she lived in River Edge for 16 years.

She was a personal stylist for Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, forging an enigmatic presence as a consummate curator of design and all things fashion, her family said.

An incredible thirst for life and a bold sense of optimism embodied her daily momentum, routinely encompassed with at least a dozen new weekly projects interspersed with medical treatments, her family said.

Her character is evident in her handmade whimsical colorful knit hats, scarves and cards. Every moment captured with her infamous selfies and photographs.

She possessed a cornucopia of pragmatism, creativity, wit, humor, and a resiliency beyond compare as she became a fierce advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness, during her miraculous five-year battle, her family said.

Taveras is survived by her husband, Jorge, son, Leandro, daughter Sofia, mother and father, Asne and Jerome, step-mother, Sharon, brother, Michael, and many loving relatives and devoted friends.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com