Kathryn Collier Quattrochi of Lenox, MA, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. She was 89. Known as Katie to her Irish friends and Kathy to others, she was born on August 25, 1929, in Northeast, NY. The daughter of William H. and Johanna (Morrissey) Collier, Kathy grew up on a large dairy farm in Pawling, NY and belonged to the Girl Scouts and 4-H as a girl.
Kathy graduated from Pawling High School in the Class of 1946 where she participated in many activities, including cheerleading. She then attended the Mildred Elley School in Albany, NY, from which she received a Certificate in Nursing. In 1951 Kathy earned her RN from Henry W. Bishop III Memorial School of Nursing at Pittsfield General Hospital, predecessor to Berkshire Medical Center. It was while working at Pittsfield General Hospital that she met her husband, Robert “Bob” Quattrochi, through a blind date arranged by one of her maternity patients, Bob’s sister-in-law. Kathy and Bob married the following year, on May 16, 1953.
Together, they made their home in the Berkshires, initially in Pittsfield and then for 30 years at a home they built in Lenox. As a housewife and mother raising four daughters, Kathy maintained her RN certification and worked for many years as the back-up nurse at Berkshire Life Insurance, which is now Guardian. After they became empty-nesters in the late 1980’s Kathy and Bob designed and built their retirement home on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, where Kathy enjoyed reading, completing daily crossword puzzles, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and Weimaraners, as well as cocktail cruises on their party boat, “Good Buoy”.
Kathy was an active volunteer and supporter of numerous local community organizations including the Berkshire Athenaeum, Hancock Shaker Village, the Visiting Nurse Association, and The League of Women Voters. She was a member of the original cohort of participants in the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest investigations into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. She was a dedicated participant in the study from its inception in 1976 until the time of her death. Kathy and Bob were avid travelers, she particularly enjoyed her trips to Ireland and Italy and annual family vacations on Cape Cod. She was especially fond of opera and was a long-time supporter of local theatre, including Barrington Stage Company and The Berkshire Theatre Group.
Kathy was predeceased by her husband; three sisters, Mary (Macartney), Julia (Hansen), and Joan (Rintoul); and two brothers, William “Bill” and James “Jim” Collier. Kathy is survived by her four daughters, Susanne Quattrochi (Craig Gilkes) of Bedford, NY; Joanne Quattrochi of Pittsfield, MA, Robin Fernsell of Walpole, NH, and Karen Bauer of Glastonbury, CT; her seven grandchildren, Sarah and Andrew Gilkes, Jack Quattrochi, Madeleine and Alison Fernsell, and Kathryn and Hanna Bauer; her step-granddaughter Amy Gilkes Loe (Brad) and their daughter Olivia; her sister-in-law, Evelyn “Pidge” Collier; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Hospice of the Berkshires and to all of Kathy’s compassionate caregivers who assisted at her home at Kimball Farms.
Funeral Services:
Funeral services for Kathryn Quattrochi will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2019, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Ann Church, 134 Main St., Lenox, MA., celebrated by the Fr. John Salatino, Administrator. Calling hours will be an hour prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Ann Church. Burial will take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of the Nurses’ Health Study in care of 776 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 in her memory.
