Katheryn "Kathy" Christina Young

Katheryn C. Young

Kathy Young, Kay, Aunty Kay, Mom

Katheryn Young of Pepperell, Massachusetts passed away in Boston after a lengthy illness on January 20, 2018 at the age of 60. She is survived by her husband Paul, son Stephen, daughter Kerry, nephew Michael Burke, and her siblings Elizabeth, William and David.  They will remember her as a mother, as a friend, and as an inspiration as she prepares to join her father David Lage, mother Mary Lage, and sister Mary Burke.

Born in Freeport, New York, she moved with her family to Woburn Massachusetts graduated from Woburn High School in 1975. She went to Salem State College and graduated with a degree in the arts. She long remembered the painting of a blue mountain range she submitted with her application, later in life laughing about its simplicity. With pencil, brush, and clay in hand she graduated in the 1980’s and was let loose upon the world. She was even rumored to enjoy aerobics and bike riding to stay in shape.

Kathy was an ambitious woman. With many jobs throughout her life, she proved skilled in merging her aesthetic sensibilities with the sales skills she inherited from her NYC father. It is likely some few reading this had purchased technologies Kathy sold. Kathy eventually took on the role of Program Manager at Epsilon where she met her future husband Paul. Paul, like most who met Kathy, was taken aback by her warm personality and endearing smile. The story of their courtship is best saved for a night of laughter and fine spirits, but culminated in a happy marriage in 1989.

Her curiosity was endless, whether it was understanding the technique behind a certain carpentry joint or how to fix the washing machine, or the limits of Photoshop’s gaussian blur function. Even the taxing nature of raising two kids could not slow her, rather it gave her new outlets for her creative energies. Kerry Alyssa Young was born in 1990, prompting the couple to move to Pepperell, Massachusetts to raise their first born where she would have a large backyard to play in and neighbors her age to play with.  The next spring, Paul and Kathy’s second child, Stephen Foster Young was born. Raising her family was only interrupted from Monday through Friday, 9-5, unless of course she was secretly just teaching her kids how to use Photoshop and getting their input on her designs.

To share the golden memories of those days would deserve a large novel that left readers anxious for a sequel. From building hobby-horses with Kerry and her friends, morning coffees with Mike, to sewing a dinosaur costume for Stephen. From secretly organizing Father’s Day breakfast in bed, to rafting down the Mercer river of Yosemite with the whole family. For all the years, it was Kathy behind the lens capturing her family’s essence on film.

It may be tempting to look back at her all too long battle with illness and let it define the narrative of her life. Especially when it helped reveal her indomitable steel grit to those who had yet only known her gentle heart. But it was her direction, strength and love that liberated her narrative. The last decade of Kathy’s life saw her drive passionately toward God’s grace and tender humanity. She left her mark on people with even the smallest encounters. Enduring the trials and tribulations of her path not only revealed more of her character, but forged it. Endlessly extending herself for others, she gave the world all she could. We are the lucky few who knew her and are better for it. We will miss her until the day we are reunited.