Katherine K. “Kathie” McCarthy

WESTBROOK – Kathie McCarthy of 35 Stonewall Way, Westbrook, Maine, died Nov. 17, 2024, at the age of 74, at Maine Medical Center after a brief and sudden illness.

Kathie was born May 9, 1950, in Boston Mass., daughter of the late Thomas J and Mary (Berry) Kent. Kathie graduated from Canton High School in Canton, Mass. in 1968. She spent a semester at Webster College before choosing to come home to marry her sweetheart, Paul J McCarthy, of Peabody Mass. Kathie and Paul settled in Maine and were married for 55 years.

She attended nursing school at USM in Portland while raising her young family and launched her nursing career at the former Osteopathic Hospital in Portland. She worked as a nurse in countless settings including inpatient units, home hospice and pediatrics. Kathie’s heart was in pediatrics where she was able to educate and empower new, young moms in how to care for their newborns.

She developed Transverse Myelitis in 2004 which was a turning point in her physical health. She quickly found support in the wider TM community and formed lasting friendships. TM caused her to stop working at the age of 62 and she was able to focus her attention on her family and interests. Kathie loved the role of grandmother and sought out any opportunity to fill this role with her own grandchildren and as surrogate grandmother to any other children in her orbit.

She loved crafts of all kinds and was known to say, “A day without a crafting is a day without sunshine.” She was known to process her thoughts through poetry and loved to share. Her most recent poem “Headed Back to Surgery” made her surgical team smile. Kathie was a lover of nature, music, critters of all kinds and giving whatever she could to help someone in need.

She was a long-time member of Prides Corner Church and sang in the church choir, The Pickers guitar group and was known for the countless whoopie pies and needhams that she made for church functions. Kathie held a deep love for her family and friends and loved annual family holiday celebrations and summer reunions. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

In addition to her mother, Kathie is survived by her husband, Paul; her children Corie McCarthy and her husband, Tim Flannery of Portland; Rachel McCarthy and her partner, Chip Emmons III of Hollis, and Patrick McCarthy and his wife Courtney McCarthy of Concord, NC; three grandchildren, Finnegan, Eliza and Natalie McCarthy; four siblings and their spouses; and countless nieces, nephews and their children.

Celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 23 at Prides Corner Church, 235 Pride Street, Westbrook with reception to follow. Please wear bright colors in her honor.

To express condolences or to participate in Katherine’s online tribute, please visit http://www.DolbyBlaisSegee.Com

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Prides Corner Church at

yourpridescornerchurch.org/offering or to:

Maine Needs at

maineneeds.org/give