Kathie J. DeNicola

Kathie grew up and remained in Pittsford, NY. She is survived by her husband, Franco, her children Mario and Erica, her beloved daughter- and son-in-law, Monisha and Alex, her sister, Patsy (Dennis), brothers, Jerry (Jane) and Alan (Sue), and several nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, Betty and Carl, her brother David and his late wife, Mary, and her niece, Lisa.

During her final year, Kathie had the immense joy of welcoming two grandchildren, Amara and Samuel. Her love of her children and grandchildren was joyful, pure, and unconditional. She deeply loved her family and friends, but loved nothing more than being Mario’s and Erica’s Mom, and Sammy and Amara’s Grandmom. She was always their biggest fan and most positive cheerleader. She was truly unique and extraordinary in her ability to listen and to make even mundane things feel just as important as big things. She was gentle and kind. She saw the best in everyone. She found or created fun in every situation, and made focusing on the positive seem effortless. Kathie had a quiet strength and resilience that allowed her to take any situation in stride.

What Kathie enjoyed most was spending time outside, exploring new places, revisiting favorite spots, and going on adventures, big and small. She was always up for a hike, a bike ride, or a walk. In her earlier years, she and Franco enjoyed taking the kids hiking, canoeing, and family trips to the Adirondacks, often joined by their lifelong friends, Robin and Mitch. Her career working as an Environmental Lab Consultant with the New York State Department of Health afforded her opportunities to travel to many different places both nationally and internationally; some of her favorites were Puerto Rico, British Columbia, Scotland, and Iceland.

In her home life, Kathie enjoyed tending to her vegetable garden, sitting outside in the sun, walks along the neighboring creek, kitty snuggles, feeding the birds and fattening up the squirrels, and ignoring expiration dates on food.

Life lessons that Kathie leaves behind include: enjoy the simple things in life and never take it too seriously; never let go of your childlike sense of fun; cherish time in the sunshine and get vitamin D every day; every morning should start with coffee; and it’s always a good time to get ice cream.

While our grief weighs heavily in our hearts, her love has left an indelible mark that we carry on and will celebrate, always. A celebration of life will be held in her honor. Details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to honor Kathie’s love of nature, the outdoors, and her generous spirit by supporting causes close to her heart:

Rainforest Trust — protecting critical habitats and biodiversity:

https://www.rainforesttrust.org/

WaterAid — providing access to clean water and sanitation for communities in need:

https://www.wateraid.org/us/

Thank you for helping continue the legacy of care and kindness she embodied.