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Kathleen J. Picardi
Kathleen "Kay" Picardi, 95, passed peacefully into spirit on December 24, 2017. Kay was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on May 13, 1922, the daughter of William and Catherine Penney. Her siblings, Mary (Penney) Picardi, Frances (Penney) Roberts, and William and Jack Penney all preceded her into spirit. Kathleen attended Revere High School while living with her beloved sister Mary "May" and brother-in-law Jeremiah "Jerry" Picardi. Because her mother gave birth to her late in life, May and Jerry became her second set of parents. Kay met and married Joseph "Joe" Picardi when she was in her twenties, and Kay, Joe, May, and Jerry moved to a home in Malden. Nine years into her marriage, their fondest wish was realized when Kay gave birth to a daughter, Joanne Picardi OBrien. Since May and Jerry remained childless, Joanne became the beloved daughter of all of them. Tragedy struck the family when Kays husband, Joe, died suddenly of a massive heart attack on June 10, 1972. He was only 52. With the love and support of May and Jerry, Kay rallied, and after having been a stay-at-home mom, went out seeking employment. She got a job as a clerk at Liggetts Drug store in downtown Malden, and became well-known and loved by the citizens of Malden. When Liggetts closed, Kay took a job as a Respite Worker for Mystic Valley Elder Services. Her down-to-earth, no-nonsense attitude made her a favorite among the elderly clients she served. Most notably, her extraordinary patience with clients with Alzheimers disease put caregivers at ease knowing their loved one was in good hands. After she retired, Kay was still a popular resident of Malden as she and her beloved dog Rudy would take long walks and visit with the residents of local retirement homes. May and Kay remained close until Mays death in 2005, when Kay helped her sister achieve her final wish of dying at home by becoming her primary caregiver. Shortly after that, an accident from which Kay never fully recovered required the full time care of an Assisted Living facility. Kay moved into Colonial Poplin/Poplin Way in Fremont, New Hampshire, where she spent the remainder of her days. There she received excellent care and was treated as family by the Assisted Living and Nursing Home staff. Kay is survived by her daughter, Joanne, and several nieces and nephews, who will always remember her fondly for her generosity of spirit, love of animals, and her insistence that no one ever leave her home hungry. There will be short wake and memorial service at the Brewitt Funeral Home in Raymond, New Hampshire on Wednesday, December 27, 2017. This will be followed by a grave-side prayer and final goodbye at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. You can contact Brewitt Funeral Home for more details. Funeral Home: Brewitt Funeral Home - Raymond 2 Epping Street; On The Common Raymond, NH US 03077May 13, 1922 - December 24, 201705/13/192212/24/2017
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Kathleen J. Picardi
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