Kathleen Maria Caputo

Kathleen “Kathy” Maria Caputo of Washington, D.C. passed away at home in the loving care of her children, Maria and Alexander. She will be remembered by all who knew her for her wise and generous heart, her abiding care, and her spirit of openness and appreciation.

Kathy was born in Riverdale, New York, the oldest child of Dante Salvatore and Kathleen Buckner Caputo. She received both her BA in Elementary Education and her MA in Special Education (specializing in teaching children who are both deaf and blind) from Boston University. After graduating, she taught at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. Kathy moved out west as a young adult. After a brief stint in Aspen, Kathy moved to Marin County and worked as a preschool teacher for deaf-blind children with rubella for four years. She then worked for three years in a preschool-primary program for visually impaired children. In the mid-1970’s, Kathy’s personal life brought her back to the east coast and she settled in Washington, DC, where she lived until her death.

Back on the east coast, Kathy continued her work with visually impaired and disabled students, working for many years for Montgomery County Public Schools. She was an itinerant teacher for all ages of visually impaired children - working with multi-handicapped infants in their homes, counseling high school students and teaching all ages in between. A patient and dedicated teacher, she delighted in the character and determination of her students. She was highly respected by her colleagues and warmly appreciated by her students and their families. Kathy was also an active community member; volunteering her time and contributing money to support organizations that aligned with her values - from delivering meals through Martha’s Table to working as a guardian ad litem for children in the DC foster care system. Kathy also supported and was a board member for both The Lowell School and The Barker Foundation, through which her two children were adopted.

Kathy’s children and grandchildren were a great source of joy to her and she marveled at each of them, cherishing them as much for their personalities as for their achievements. Known as ‘Nonna’, she was a superior specimen of a grandmother - doting on each of her grandchildren and making each feel uniquely special and adored.

She had an eye for things that were distinctive, quirky, and offbeat, whether it was the work of a local artist or a funny anecdote. She was passionate and vibrant - she loved and lived in color. She had an amazing and infectious smile and laugh. She loved dancing and socializing, and had a capacious taste in music. And man, she liked to listen to that music LOUD. She appreciated good food and coffee - her Starbucks was a necessity. She was an amazing chef - her caesar salad was infamous. She loved her summers on Crescent Beach in Owls Head, Maine and missed all of her dogs - Ghirardelli, Godiva, Hercules, and most recently, Fish - deeply. Kathy was deeply proud of her Italian heritage and despite living for 50 years in DC, always considered herself a New Yorker.

Kathy truly valued people and the relationships that she had with them - she worked hard to maintain friendships over the years and across the miles. She was a steadfast, inclusive and compassionate presence in the lives of her family and friends. She listened and always endeavored to understand and honor others; she remembered birthdays and spent months planning for the holidays to let the people she loved know that she was thinking of them and remembered them. Unkindness and injustice affected her, and even sometimes mystified her. She was a relentless advocate for others, especially those who were marginalized or less fortunate. She had, above all, a special capacity for thoughtfulness, empathy, and recognition.

She was preceded in death by her mother Kathleen Buckner Caputo, who died at a tragically young age, her father Dante S. Caputo, her first husband Eric Murphy, her sister-in-law Janet Caputo, and her dear friend, Deb Hastings-Black. She is survived by her two children, Maria Mulvehill (James) and Alexander Freeman (Melody) [and their father John K. Freeman]; her six grandchildren, Adelaide Maria, Eleanor Love, Charlotte Knox, and Maeve Frances Mulvehill and Makenzee Dawn and Brooks Alexander Freeman; her brother, Thomas Caputo, and her niece, Kathleen “Kate” Caputo; her two step-children, Robert and Denis Murphy; and her four step-grandchildren, Daniel Adam, Laura Kathleen, Rachel Kathleen, and Eric Robert Murphy.

We, Maria and Alexander, would like to give special thanks to…Washington Hospital Center’s Cardiac ICU - especially the nurses - for taking superior care of our mother in the last two weeks of her life, helping to ensure that she was strong enough to return home - her most favorite place in the world…Georgetown Homecare and specifically Jennifer, Selam, Chakita, Askale, and Leticia, for the wonderful companionship and loving care they provided over the last year…Eldercare Consultants - Vanessa and Samantha - for their expertise and deep compassion, and Capital City Nurses, specifically Georgina and Marie, who - while their time with us was very brief - were invaluable supports to us and knowledgeable and committed advocates for our mother in her final hours.

A celebration of her life will be held in early 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to a charity of your choice that honors Kathy’s deep and unwavering commitment to love, equality and justice.