WEBSTER – Kathleen Rosalie (Dugan) Gatzke, 83, passed away too soon on Tuesday, July 18, in her home of 59 years, with family at her side.
Kathleen, or “Kathy”, leaves her husband of 63 years, Robert F. “Bob” Gatzke. Their dream of building a large family culminated in 2 sons and 3 daughters, Robert B. and Timothy P. Gatzke, Jennifer C. Gatzke, Lauren E. McGarry and her husband Matte of Southbridge, and Julie A. Gatzke and her partner Chris Filippone of Webster. Kathy and Bob were blessed with 6 grandchildren, (Timothy’s sons) Timothy P. Jr., Kyle M., Marc I., and Robert F. Gatzke, and (Lauren’s children) Abigale E. and Gus A. McGarry. Many beloved nieces and nephews join them in mourning her passing. Kathy was preceded in death by her brother, Richard B. Dugan, in 2013.
Kathleen Dugan was born in Webster on February 17, 1940, the Irish daughter of Bernard J. “Bunny” and Catherine E. (Fennessey) Dugan. Largely raised in Dudley, she graduated from Saint Louis High School in 1957. As a young woman, Kathy was first employed at Deary Brothers Dairy in Dudley. Following high school graduation, she worked as an X-Ray technician for Dr. Michael Fallon of the Fallon Clinic before joining the Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster. Kathy married Bob in 1960 at St. Louis Church, and shortly thereafter they began to start their family. Gifting herself and family her many years as a stay-at-home Mommy, Kathy participated in school parental activities, and coached the St. Louis School Junior High Cheerleading team to ensure her daughters had a team activity. Once the kids were old enough to spend some time alone with older siblings, she enjoyed a part time job at Putnam Gifts in Webster, until being hired full time by the Webster Credit Union, where she worked her way into supervising the NOW checking Department. Having declined the opportunity to attend college with family in California, Kathy instead chose to remain near her parents, and to raise a large family with her devoted husband Bob. Her greatest role was mother to her children and grandchildren, she loved nothing more than holding a baby, and she dedicated her life to her family’s well-being.
Kathy was passionate about reading (Mysteries and Biographies), music, history, genealogy, puzzles, and travel. She voraciously absorbed Celtic culture in every form, and she and Bob fulfilled her dream of returning to her ancestral Ireland twice! She adored both figure skating and dancing. Having grown up swimming at the family’s Killdeer lake cottage, swimming was Kathy’s bliss. In fact, she first met Bob when she accidentally pushed him headlong into the shallows at Memorial Beach. She passed that sassy gene on to her children, so laughter was the core of the home. Kathy shared her Irish pride and her understated humor, and she encouraged her kids to pursue their dreams. Her greatest treasures were the time spent, the laughter born, and the love showered upon her family. A woman of infinite artistic talent, she instilled in her children the love of art and literature, and nurtured their individual talents, taking great pride in their accomplishments. She was a gifted and thrifty seamstress who made all of her children’s clothing, many toys, household linens and curtains, and she taught her daughters how to sew, knit, embroider, and crochet. She was a brilliant, witty, and creative mind into her last days. Our hearts ache unimaginably, as she is our family’s soul.
A lifelong parishioner of Saint Louis Church, Kathy and Bob taught CCD for 2 years, and they were later among the first Eucharistic ministers in the parish.
Calling hours for Kathy and her family will be held on Wednesday, August 16 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. in Scanlon Funeral Service, 38 East Main Street, Webster. Kathy’s memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, August 17 at 10:00 A.M. in Saint Louis Church, 14 Lake Street, Webster (please meet at church). Burial will be private. Donations in her memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and Saint Louis Parish Endowment Fund, 52 Negus Street, Webster, MA 01570.