Alton Bay, NH – Kathleen A. McCarthy, 70, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, after a year and a half battle with cancer, at her family’s home surrounded by her loved ones.Kathleen was born in Lowell on July 7, 1954, and is the eldest daughter of the late George B.
McCarthy and Shirley A. (Arlin) McCarthy.Kathleen was raised on Christian Hill in Lowell, where she graduated from Lowell High School in 1972.
She then pursued higher education at Boston College before transferring to Tulane University in New Orleans, LA where she graduated with a Bachelor of Political Science in 1977. While studying at Tulane, Kathleen fell in love with the city, people, culture and music of New Orleans. She relocated to New Orleans for the next 25 years and built a beautiful life filled with love, friendships, travel, festivals, and one of her all-time favorite events, the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
She always wanted to share these experiences with the ones she loved and flew her brother and sister down to attend many of these festivals with her. Kathleen was an enthusiast of the arts and outdoors. She performed in theater opera, she was a talented singer, she always supported local artists, and loved all varieties of music.
She also became an avid runner, completing two marathons throughout her life, and she climbed the famous Mount Washington.Kathleen built an impressive 40-year career in Human Resources serving in a director capacity at multiple healthcare organizations including Ochsner Health System and Memorial Medical Center, both in New Orleans, then at Tenet Healthcare in Dallas, Texas. When she returned to live in New Hampshire in 2004, she bought a beautiful home with bay views in Alton Bay, NH where she spent many a days on her deck watching the bay, the sunrise and sunset, as well as enjoying her time watching the birds and animals that visited her yard.
Kathleen then continued her HR career at D’Youville Senior Care in Lowell, where she worked as the HR Director from 2006 until her retirement in 2020. After retirement, Kathleen took her love of music and enjoyed two years working at Bank NH Pavilion in Gilford, NH, where she enjoyed many concerts, and made some wonderful memories and friendships.Kathleen’s first true love in life was always her fur babies.
Her love of dogs began with her family’s childhood Pointer, Vicky. She was a dog mom at heart, loved having her babies to come home to, always took them on her hiking adventures, and spent her life caring for several rescue dogs including Freedom, Molly, Bruschi, Buddy, and Patty Cakes. Kathleen thrived at ensuring they received unconditional affection and love, as well as the most creative and enduring nicknames, and best care around.
Kathleen had a very strong bond with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. Her love and generosity were a pivotal part of who she was, as she made frequent visits home from Louisiana to be with her family for special occasions and events, and ultimately returned to the Northeast to be with family. She will be dearly missed by those who loved her including her siblings, Karen Butler and husband LaVaine of Lowell, Brenda McCarthy of Murrels Inlet, SC, and George McCarthy of Nashua, NH.
She was blessed with several nieces and nephews, Richard Boisvert and his wife Christina of Lowell, Kara Boisvert of Lowell, Christopher Butler and his wife Jennifer of Lowell, Kaileigh Clites and her husband Michael of Cumberland, MD, Ryan Pimentel of Murrels Inlet, SC and Melissa Pimentel and her fiance Ryan Lover of Derry, NH. She was also the great aunt to Layla Pimentel, also of Murrels Inlet, SC. Kathleen also had two very close friends/confidants who loved and supported her throughout many years, Joann Tassin of Reserve, LA and Erin Copley McConologue of Windham, NH.
Kathleen and family also want to extend our sincerest, most heart-felt appreciation to Melissa Cullingford, Oncology NP at Lowell General Hospital for her incredible care and support throughout Kathleen’s cancer treatment.Visiting hours will be held on Monday, August 12, 2024 from 4pm to 7pm at the DRACUT FUNERAL HOME, 2159 Lakeview Ave., DRACUT.
Her Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday at 10am in the Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Gibson Cemetery, Pelham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Pointer Rescue Organization, pointerrescue.
org, PointerRescue Organization, Inc 1100 Timberlake Drive West, Cordova, TN 38018 and the Lowell General Hospital Cancer Center, c/o Development Office, 295 Varnum Ave., Lowell, MA 01854. Funeral Directors Paul A.
Hardy, Jr. & Jennifer Lebaropoulos Hardy. For directions and online guestbook, visit DRACUTFUNERALHOME.
COM and find us on Facebook. Honor with Flowers In memory of Kathleen A Plant a Living Memorial In memory of Kathleen A.
