Kelly's obituary as it appeared in the Cape Cod Times:
Sweet Kelly,
When we think about you, we see only the most beautiful things. We see your infectious smile that radiated love and made everyone happier, and we hear your contagious laughter that could fill a room. We see you dancing, carefree, happy, and uninhibited, to the music that never stopped playing in your one-of-a-kind soul. You taught us what it is to truly be yourself, love who you are, and enjoy every moment. Your unfiltered honesty has always been refreshing, and it reminds us how important it is to always tell people how we feel. Your vibrant, free-spirited nature is truly inspiring, and we are so proud of you. You lit up every room you entered, and you touched every soul that has been fortunate enough to know you. We hear your voice in the wind that blows, feel your warmth in the sun that shines, experience your joy in all of the memories we cherish, and feel your lively spirit within us with every step we take.
No one could ever ask for a kinder sister, a sweeter daughter, a lovelier wife, or a more loving, generous friend, and we can only hope to be half the person you are. We know our lives will never be the same without your effervescent presence, and we must hope that you know how loved you are and how deeply missed you will be. However, we take comfort in knowing that there are places to find you, even now, as we struggle and wonder where to look for you. We will find you in everything you love: in every heart-shaped rock left in the sand, in every piece of sea glass that tumbles up to the beach, and in every reflection of light that dances on the wall. We will find you in every spectacular, colorful sunset that draws our eyes to the horizon, in the change of the leaves during the fall season, and in the soothing music of the ocean waves as they kiss the shore. Life is fleeting, but you are constant, always found in beautiful things around us. When we see and hear these things, we will know that it is you and your big heart sending your limitless, selfless love; it is you shining your bright, always-glowing light; and it is you, laughing your light-hearted, spontaneous laugh.
You will always be the resilient, expansive presence that urges us forward, teaches us, and compels us to reach out and live each moment, just as you have always done. You will always be your mother's sunshine, and you will always be your husband Mark's Jersey Girl, walking down the street with him. You will remain our protector, our confidant, and our strength, and you will forever be everything that is beautiful and precious, just as you were in life. No matter how the tides may change, your footprints will never be washed from the sands of our hearts. May your gentle soul be at peace. We'll see you at the beach, beautiful Kelly, because "down the shore everything's alright."
We love you to the moon and back,
Your husband Mark, your mother Cheryl, your dad Jimmy, your dad Stephen, your brother Nik, your sister Jamie, and your mammy and papa, Frank and Helena.
Tributes
Leave a tributeI think of you often and that big beautiful smile you always had!!!!! You are never far from my thoughts and ALWAY and FOREVER close to my HEART! Say hi to my niece and beautiful God Daughter Katie.... you both left this world far too young. I love and miss you.
Love Joan
Your beautiful smile is still fresh in my memory when I think about you. It absolutely lit up a room. I hope somehow know how much the world misses you, especially today. Lisa
There are too many great memories to list, and they were all fun. Everyone you touched in your life is missing a beautiful soul who was a great fun loving woman. We'll see you on the other side.
Jimmy
In the meantime, I look for you in the stars, the fairies, the moon, the beach, a song, on the Cape, but I always find you in my heart.
I love you so much,
Auntie Christine
I was thinking of you today as I was driving. Benny and the Jets came on and all I could think about was us in the back of Peter's truck driving up to Alton Bay and us screaming "she had electric boobs"!!!!! We thought we were so hilarious! I wish I could call you and share this memory instead of writing it to you here but that's just now how it is. You are so very missed I can't even explain it to you. I was thinking about my wedding day when I sent you to get the goldfish for our ceremony and we look over and one of them is floating belly up at the top of the fish bowl. Out of everyone there, I locked eyes with you and had to just hold back my laughter!!! I have so many memories, I could go on all day. I always felt like you "got" me, you know what I mean?! You really knew me and I hope I really knew you. We always had laughs and got along so well, it was my pleasure to have a cousin like you and I'll always miss you. You will always live on in my heart. The fact that you aren't physically here can never erase my memories. I love you, Kelly
P.S. I had a dream about you last night........you were an infant and I remembered wrapping my thumb and forefinger around your baby ankle................it was a nice dream. I miss you.
Tryin' to keep up a smile that masks the tears
But as the sun goes down I get that empty feeling again
I wish to God that you were here
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you"
I've heard this song a million times and yet I never really heard it until today. God how I miss you! I love you Kelly. xoxo
I am with you still - I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the sweet uplifting rush,
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone -
I am with you still in each new dawn.
- Traditional Native American Prayer
I've come on to this page to write something to you more times than I can remember but always come up blank. Not because I don't have plenty to say, I just don't quite know how to put it into words. To say I miss you would be an understatement. Usually I just pretend in my head that you are still with us, I just haven't seen you in a while. When reality sets in and I realize that's not the case it breaks my heart all over again. There's a real void in the family without you, you were such an important person to all of us, I hope you knew how important you were to me. I have more memories of growing up that involve you than anyone else, it was always you & me. You were my very first best friend and I loved you more than I can say. As kids, I looked up to you always and thought you were just the coolest. As adults, I enjoyed your company and envied your vibrant personality. You always lit up a room instantly, not many people can do that, you made it seem so effortless. I'll miss that about you, never a dull moment when you were around. Always plenty of laughs and that's how I chose to remember you. I was always here for you, I really hope you knew that. I would do anything to be able to go back in time and undo this and let you know how many people care and love you. I think you knew that though, you had so much love in your life. I hope you are at peace and I would like to think of you are keeping a watchful eye over us all, especially your parents and Nik & Jamie. They were lucky to have you as a sister, I always wished you were my sister too! Say hello to my Dad for me and to Gram! I take a lot of comfort knowing the three of you are together. I love you so much Kelly, I miss you terribly. Like my mom said, send me a sign every now and then, I would love to feel your presence in my life again. I love you so much. Love, your cousin, Sarah
I can hardly come up with words. Not because they are not there but rather there are far to many. They spin so fast in my mind. Oh what I would give to hold your hands and tell you again how much I love you. How I think of you every day. How I always have. That everything can be ok. That I know how crippling it can feel being out of control of your own thoughts. That I need you as much as you need me. How you are instantly in my thoughts when something in my life needs sharing. How sorry I am I didn't listen to those prompts and reach out more often. To say you were my best friend just doesn't seem enough. You were family. A sister. We went through life together and apart physically for 30 years...as if not a day had passed. Truly through the good times and bad nothing did or ever could shake the love I have for you. A piece of me has broken without repair. Most moments I'm in total denial as the reality is too much to bear. I take comfort in knowing that you are being held and loved by the only one who can truly heal. And the knowledge that I will one day laugh with you again. Until then my sweet friend you will be a part of my every day. Honestly, even more so than before. I have chosen to allow you to teach my heart to sing new songs. To love deeper and let go. To be true to myself despite the insecurity. To treasure every moment never knowing when it's the last. I will think of you every time I cook a new meal, walk along the ocean shore, stumble upon a heart shaped rock, laugh uncontrollably for no apparent reason, dance like no ones watching, or pay way too much for a bottle of wine just because I deserve it! And I will smile and brighten my friends days with a simple greeting "Hi there pretty lady" even when I am the only one knowing why that feels so good. I love you truly, madly and deeply...always have always will.
I would tell you how much we love you and how important you are to each and every one of us. I would tell you we need you to make our family complete. I would tell you we would never be the same without you. I would tell you that you are a vital link that keeps the chain of love intact. I would tell you that everything is going to be okay and we are all here for you. I would tell you there is always hope. I did tell you most of these things at one time or another but you forgot in the turmoil you went through on that dark day.
Instead I tell you how much I miss you and that my heart hurts every day for the beautiful woman we lost. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and miss you. I cry for you every day. I mourn for what could have been. You were such a vibrant woman who brought so much happiness to all who knew and loved you. You were so full of life and had such a zest for living which is why this is all so hard to comprehend. You were stolen from us by a disease that is kept a secret because of the shame the victims of it feel. There is no shame to need help; the shame is not to ask for it. You taught me to be more understanding and less judgmental of people, you never know what people are dealing with under the facades we all present to the world. I'll try to remember that lesson although I have to admit that I still have to check myself.
I know you're with Gram and now Papa and they are taking good care of you for us. I will always miss you every day and I know the day will come when I will see you again. I can still hear your voice and I can picture you in the kitchen cooking away. I'll cherish those memories forever! I look for you every day and sometimes I do see you. Don't forget to send a sign every once in a while, I find great comfort when I see one.
I love and miss you so much,
Auntie Christine