Obituary of Kathleen Casey Smith

Kathleen Casey Smith, of Endwell, NY, passed away on March 22, 2025, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was a beloved wife, mother, teacher and grandmother who brought joy, energy and warmth to all who knew her. Born on September 12, 1945, in Endicott, NY, Kathy moved downstate after High School, earning a Bachelor's degree from Manhattanville and Master's from Bank Street College. She wrote children's stories for magazines and worked as a computer programmer. She attended her 20th Union-Endicott High School reunion and bumped into her high school sweetheart, Robert L. Smith. Two decades after Bob and Kathy went to prom together, both of them were single, he had two boys, she had two girls and the evening was magical! They reunited and never let go. A gifted teacher at Homer Brink and Maine Memorial elementary schools, Kathy nurtured a love of learning through hands-on experiences and play. She had a remarkable ability for recognizing each child's unique personality, a gift that her daughters were blessed to have as foundations in their childhood. Kathy loved to sing. She had a beautiful voice, performed with her church's Good News Band, organized duets with her daughters—especially Alison, who inherited her vocal range—and infused everyday moments with song, including playful rhyming answering machine messages. An active member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, her faith was a grounding and guiding force. She majored in German in college and lived abroad for a year, which sparked a love for travel that she and Bob shared. They explored all 50 states—including many off-road jeep adventures—before embracing foreign travel in their retirement years. They visited 30+ countries, including trips to see their daughter Devlin when she lived in Sweden, Iceland and her current home in England. Kathy is survived by her devoted husband of 41 years and great love of her life, Robert L. Smith; her children Alison Shea, Devlin Shea (Charles Richardson), Clint Smith (Spring Fauci), and Clif Smith; seven grandchildren: Livingston, Tyler, Ronan, Ace, Dalton, Leonora and Lucian; and one great-grandchild, Lila. She is also survived by three of her sisters and their husbands: Trisha & Dave Bollinger, Bibba Spencer, and Margy & Artie Lynnworth, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Dr. Vincent Casey and Anna (Moore) Casey, her sister Anne-Fay Trabold (Peter Trabold) and her in-laws, Winifred & Robert Smith Sr. Kathy was laid to rest in a private ceremony on March 26, 2025. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Our Saviour Lutheran Church, in Endwell, or Bright Focus Foundation www.brightfocusbold.org a research charity taking bold leaps towards preventing and curing Alzheimer's Disease. She is deeply missed.