Katherine Pike; Worked to Stop Alcoholism

Katherine Keho Pike, who had teamed up with her late husband to combat alcoholism, has died at the age of 87.

Pike, former chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Commission on Alcoholism, died Oct. 18 at the San Marino home where she had lived for 60 years.

Never an alcoholic herself, she well knew of the problems of the disease because of her mother’s fatal addiction and her recovering alcoholic husband, oil drilling tycoon Thomas P. Pike. He died in 1993.

“Every day has its challenges,� she told The Times when both were active septuagenarians. “I don’t have any [special] strength. I just get up in the morning and face what has to be done, and let go, let God�--the motto of Alcoholics Anonymous, which she supported.

The former Katherine Keho graduated magna cum laude from Stanford University, where she met her husband, who was the student body president.

In addition to raising money for anti-alcohol groups, the Pikes donated more than $1 million of their own funds. The gifts included endowing a Pike chair on alcohol studies at UCLA, and donations to the Alcohol Clinic at Stanford Medical School.

Both of the Pikes became known locally and nationally as consultants on alcoholism. When Betty Ford committed herself for alcoholism, her doctor asked Thomas, as a recovering alcoholic, to speak with her and asked Katherine to talk with former President Gerald Ford.

Katherine Pike served on the boards of the National Council on Alcoholism and the Alcoholism Council of California. She was a founding board member of Casa de las Amigas, a Pasadena recovery house for women, and Haven House, a Pasadena shelter for wives and children of violent alcoholics.

In addition to her work in combating alcoholism, Pike was active in the United Way, including serving on its planning council and board of directors.

In 1970, she and her husband received the brotherhood award for community service from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The couple also jointly shared the gold key award from the National Council on Alcoholism in 1977.

She is survived by three children, Jack Pike, Mary Coquillard and Micki Barnes; 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 7, at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Pasadena. The family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Los Angeles office of the National Council on Alcoholism.