Katelyn Marissa Cavanaugh

Miss Katelyn Marissa Cavanaugh, age 19, passed into Eternal Life on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

Kate was born December 29, 2005 in Huntington, WV to Robert and Christina Cavanaugh. As a little girl, she was a fun-loving, mischievous, affectionate, VERY talkative and energetic force of nature. She loved joining in her 2 older sisters’ adventures from the time she could walk, and the 3 of them forged many happy memories through early childhood, a favorite of which was playing hide and seek with the family cat by shutting her in various places like a dresser drawer and having the others listen for her displeased meows. This game was NOT a favorite of the cat, nor was it parentally approved. :)

As she grew, Kate’s interests expanded into art, and she loved to draw, paint, crochet, and make many different creations out of tiny colored rubber bands or duct tape, like earrings, key chains, rings, bracelets, wallets, book covers and other similar high-end items. She was always drawing pictures of her family, and her beloved Mr. Cow, her favorite stuffed animal. She grew into a talented artist and won 1st prize at the fair for the only drawing she ever entered.

Kate loved fashion and putting together fun outfits with matching jewelry, and in middle school was obsessed with her blue velvet boots, wearing them EVERYWHERE, including to youth group ultimate frisbee games, much to her later embarrassment. Kate loved the beach so much, and her favorite one she ever visited was the Outer Banks. She loved the waves, the sunsets, the wind, the shells, drawing funny messages in the sand and watching storms come in over the water.

Kate was homeschooled from kindergarten through the end of high school and was very active at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons, NC in various ways. She loved her youth group leaders and her friends there, helping with VBS, and sitting with Jesus in the quiet of church and praying or reading the Bible.

In High School, NCFCA, a Christian Speech and Debate league, became Kate’s focus, and she excelled in competition and socially. It meant so much to her to be able to reach out to people, to connect and speak and share her stories, and to make a difference in others’ lives. She touched so many with her sweet kindness, humor and joy, and she was blessed by many friends there in return.

Kate was so brave in her final battle with Myelodysplastic Sydrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She was scared but she faced it with courage and faith and never gave up. She firmly believed that Jesus would heal her and would ask anyone around her to pray for her miracle too - doctors, nurses, MRI technicians, friends, family, cafeteria workers. Her faith was strong even when the bad news kept coming, and now she has her miracle. Even though it wasn’t here on earth like we wanted, she is finally fully healed, and we are grateful that she is at peace, her earthly suffering is ended, and she is in the arms of her Heavenly Father.

Kate loved life and she brought so much affection, laughter and joy to our family and so many others every single day. She found joy in the small things, like catching frogs, going outside during rainstorms, sipping a cold root beer or hot mug of tea, and snacking on Takis or sour Skittles. She loved everything about Christmas and started listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween, much to her mother’s dismay. She was an expert in Call of Duty and greatly enjoyed beating the rest of us repeatedly in family games. She was the funniest person we knew and made us laugh all the time.

She is going to be missed terribly by all of us, including her 2 sisters, Hannah Cavanaugh and Allison Smid; as well as her beloved nephew, 1 year old Grayson, who she doted on and loved fiercely, and who dominated about 50% of her camera roll. Her Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and all of her family and friends loved her so much and so well, and she loved them in return with all her heart.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00AM, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Holy Family Catholic Church by Father James Stuhrenberg. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Entombment will follow at Westlawn Gardens of Memory Mausoleum.