Kathleen T. (Strout) Leahy, a long-time Medford resident and formerly of Charlestown, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Thursday, August 2nd at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. She was 89.
Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late Frank A. and Catherine (Lawlor) Strout. Kathleen attended local schools and graduated from Medford High School with the Class of 1947.
Kathleen was both a homemaker and a Traffic Supervisor with the Medford Police Department. She proudly served her community for 15 years at the corner of Yale Street. Following her retirement in 1994, Kathleen spent much of her time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Kathleen loved having company over her home and visiting with people. She was a Boston sports fan, but her favorite was hockey and watching the Boston Bruins. Kathleen liked to watch the Bruins and other Boston teams play from the comfort of her living room, and everyone knew not to call the house when the Bruins were playing.
Over the years, Kathleen loved spending time outside, barbequing and swimming in her above ground pool. There wasn’t anything she liked more than to have the family over spending time together. She was an excellent cook and everyone loved her brownies. Kathleen was a kind, loving and devoted person. She would do anything for those she loved and cared for. Kathleen will be missed by all the lives she touched.
Kathleen was the beloved wife of the late Paul A. “Pete” Leahy, Jr., who passed away in 1996. They married on February 4, 1951 at Sacred Heart Church in Medford. Together they shared 45 loving years of marriage. She was the devoted mother of Maureen Leahy of Buzzards Bay, Ann McGonagle and her husband Edward of Canton, Paula Grande and her husband Daniel of Medford, Peter Leahy and his wife Jean of Reading, Paul Leahy and his wife Mary of Medford, the late Kathleen Ricci-Ottaviano, who passed away in 1991 and the late Daniel Leahy, who passed away in 2016. Kathleen was the loving grandmother of 14 and the loving great grandmother of 12 and is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Her funeral will be from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford on Tuesday, August 7th at 10:30 AM followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High St., Medford, at 11:30 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held on Monday from 4 through 8 PM. Services will conclude with interment at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Kathleen's name may be sent to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation by visiting www.jdrf.org or Kaplan Family Hospice House, 78 Liberty Street, Danvers, MA 01923.