KATHLEEN MURPHY HESS

1948 - 2020

HESS, Kathleen Murphy August 25, 1948 to July 3, 2020 Kathleen passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 3, 2020, from complications related to diabetes, Covid-19, and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Kathleen Mary Murphy was born in Cambridge, MA to John J. Murphy and Eileen (Morgan) Murphy. At an early age, she moved with her parents to Watertown, MA. Kathy attended Matignon High School and then Boston College where she received a bachelor's degree. After college, she served in VISTA and helped to start a day care center in New Hampshire. It was this experience that inspired her to get her master's degree in education from Boston University and to devote her life to the education of young children. After several jobs in her chosen field, Kathy completed her career by starting the program at Triton Regional School District and then serving twenty-seven years there as Coordinator of Early Childhood Education. She spent several years volunteering to do accreditation surveys for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In 1974, she married John P. Hess in a ceremony at Boston College. In their vows they promised to "grow old together in the company of friends." Her friends were everything to her. Immediately after the wedding, they moved to Andover, MA, where they lived together and raised two sons. Kathy was very active in the community, volunteering and serving on numerous boards, including the League of Women Voters, Andover A Better Chance, Town-wide PTO, Friends of Memorial Hall Library, and the Andover Garden Club. She was also a founding member of the Andover Youth Council. As an avid reader, she enjoyed sorting books and working at the Friends' book sales to help raise funds for the library. She also enjoyed sharing her reading as a member of a book group. After her retirement in 2015, she spent many hours volunteering at the Andover Thrift Shop where she continued to make new friends. Kathy enjoyed traveling, theater, music, and other activities but may have been best known as a walker – taking walks at work with co-workers, in Andover with friends, or just around her downtown Andover neighborhood. She enjoyed looking at the gardens and houses on her daily walks. Kathy is survived by her husband and two sons, Patrick M. Hess and his wife, Lauren Olerio, of South Portland, ME, and Kevin A. Hess and his wife, Caitlin Kalosky, of Chicago, IL. She is also survived by two grandsons, Finnian and Dominic; and two sisters-in-law, Martha Hess Russo of Charlotte and Mary Hess Gault of Indianapolis. Kathy's family would like to thank the staff of Academy Manor Nursing Home and Kronos Health for their loving care, as well as all the friends who supported her over the past year. Visiting Hours: Funeral Arrangements are with Conte Funeral Homes, 28 Florence Street, ANDOVER. A celebration of Kathy's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Andover Youth Foundation, 40 Whittier Court, Andover; Friends of Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main Street, Andover or Andover A Better Chance, PO Box 212, Andover. To leave online condolences, please visit www.contefuneralhomes.com

View the online memorial for Kathleen Murphy HESS