KATHLEEN L KELLEY

Kathleen L. (Sullivan) Kelley, 78, of Worcester, died Sunday, March 23, 2025 at the Oasis at Dodge Park in Worcester, after a long illness.

Kathy leaves her husband of 55 years, Donald W. Kelley, Jr.; two daughters, Erin Fitzgerald and her husband John, and Courtney Graves and her husband Timothy, four grandchildren who affectionately called her “Lala”, Grace and J.D. Fitzgerald, and Kelley and Caitlyn Graves, all of Worcester. She also leaves two sisters-in-law, Joan C. Sullivan of Lakeland, Fla. and Maureen E. Duke of Shrewsbury; three brothers-in-law, Dennis F. Kelley of New Bedford, Timothy J. Kelley of Shrewsbury and Justin F. Kelley of Hebron, Conn.; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Her brother J. Bryan Sullivan died in 2016 and her brother William A. Sullivan Jr. died in 2019.

Kathy was born in Worcester, daughter of William A. and Sylvia (Sihlman) Sullivan, and lived in Worcester all of her life. She attended North High School and Quinsigamond Community College.

Kathy worked at Worcester banks for more than 40 years, retiring in 2012. She began her banking career with the former Guaranty Bank where she became a Vice-President in the Mortgage Dept. A sequence of bank mergers brought her to Bank of New England and then Fleet Bank. She later moved to Flagship Bank and shifted her skills from mortgages to wealth management. She retired from People’s United Bank.

Kathy enjoyed travelling in and outside the United States to places with beautiful beaches. She was an avid reader and a meticulous gardener. Some of her favorite moments were the times she spent with her grandchildren and attending their sporting events.

The Kelley family is enormously grateful to the staff at The Oasis Dodge Park for their skilled and compassionate care of Kathy these past few years.

Calling hours are Wednesday, March 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster St., Worcester. The funeral will be Thursday, March 27, with a Mass at 10:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church, 1052 Pleasant St., Worcester. Burial will follow at Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dementia Society of America, P.O. Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901(www.dementiasociety.org), or Pernet Family Health Service, 237 Millbury St., Worcester, MA 01610 (www.pernetfamilyhealth.org).