Obituaries : * Kathleen Sims, 71; Vesper House Leader

Kathleen Sims, a longtime Thousand Oaks resident, died Thursday at Los Robles Regional Medical Center. She was 71.

Mrs. Sims was an active board member and past president of the Vesper House, a rehabilitation center for recovering alcoholic women.

Her husband said she and two other women worked tirelessly to build the North Hollywood center in 1969.

“Kathleen was an alcoholic and got sober through Alcoholics Anonymous,” Joe Sims said. “She was sober 32 years. Vesper House was her driving force in life.”

Mrs. Sims is also survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Nina and Lance Holt, and two grandchildren, Keith and Jessica, all of Thousand Oaks, and two brothers, Edward Jenkins of Highland and Joseph Jenkins of Furlong, Pa.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday with a vigil service at 7 p.m. at Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Thousand Oaks.

A Mass will be celebrated at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Thursday. Father Sean de Lannoy will officiate.

Instead of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Vesper House, 6301 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood, 91606.

Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Thousand Oaks.