Katelyn "Katie" Gress

Katie (Katelyn) Gress, 28, died Saturday July 1st. She was born on August 23, 1994 in Springfield and lived in Granby her entire life, graduating from Granby High School in 2012. She just completed her first year of nursing school, where she found her passion, in helping others in their time of need.  She worked as a Medical Assistant for Occu-Health in East Longmeadow for 8 years. Katie was an amazing mother and devoted her life to raising her daughter Aubrey, who was the most important thing in her life.  She taught Aubrey how important it was to be herself, standup for what she believed in and to love people for who they are.  Just like her. Katie’s passions were Harry Potter, painting and spending time with her family, friends, dogs and cat Crookshanks. Her favorite place to go was York Beach, Maine with her family.  She loved to climb on the rocks, trying to find a new treasure to share with everyone. Katie will be truly missed by all who knew her.  She had a way of making everyone she met feel important and loved by her.  She brought sunshine everywhere she went. She leaves her longtime partner Cory Menard and their daughter Aubrey, her mother JoAnn Olden and stepfather Fred, her sisters, Julia Gress and Haley Oakner and husband Miles of Florida and her brother Norman Olden and his wife Kelly of Agawam, her nieces and nephews, Magnolia, Brooklyn, Melanie, Caden, Harris and Harris’s brother expected in August. She also leaves Cory’s mother and father Cathy and Russ Menard and brother Andrew, her grandparents, Walter Hudzikiewicz, Edith Gray and Pheobe Daunias, her father Ken Gress and several Aunts, Uncles, cousins and close friends. The funeral service will be Saturday July 8th starting with a calling hour from 10:00 to 11:00 am at All Saints Episcopal Church in South Hadley followed by a service at the church at 11:00am. The O’Brien Family Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com.