The Kathleen Dale Mirtoni Memorial Children's Fund
Kathleen Dale Mirtoni, an educator and longtime drama teacher at Petaluma Junior High School who founded the campus theater program and touched the lives of thousands of students over more than three decades, passed away on Oct. 9, 2025, at the age of 79.
To honor her life and work, Polly Klaas Community Theater has launched the Kathleen Dale Mirtoni Memorial Children’s Fund in her honor. All donations will be used to fund children’s theatrical productions, workshops, and summer camps at Polly Klaas Community Theater.
Mirtoni began teaching at PJHS in the early 1990s and quickly became known for establishing the school’s Drama Club as a formal extracurricular program. What began as a small student activity grew under her leadership into a thriving theatrical community that staged full productions—including classics such as Little Women—at the Polly Klaas Community Theater and other community venues.
Her classroom and rehearsal spaces became safe havens for students seeking expression, confidence, and connection. Known for her infectious enthusiasm, sharp wit, and trademark “Big Italian Hugs,” Mirtoni had an extraordinary ability to see potential where others might not—and to nurture it with warmth, humor, and high expectations. She also was a fiercely loving safe harbor for the student community during the tragedy of Polly Klaas’s abduction by championing a continued production of King Arthur. Polly and her friends were a part of the production, and she kept close watch and care over her students at that time and beyond. Polly Klaas Community Theater cherishes all Mirtoni did for our community and children, and the Children’s Fund will continue her legacy.