Catherine Humphreys Donelan

The funeral will be held from Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg on Saturday, July 30 with a Mass in Saint Bernard’s Parish at Saint Camillus Church, 333 Mechanic St., Fitchburg at 10:00am. Burial will be held privately at a later date. Calling hours will be held from 4-7pm on Friday, July 29, in the funeral home.

 

Kay has asked that in lieu of flowers or other gifts, that donations be made to Intercultural Nursing, Inc./Dominican Republic, 7 Parsonage Lane, Topsfield, MA 01983 or the Lupus Foundation of America (www.lupus.org) 2000 L Street NW Ste 410 Washington, DC. 20036.



Catherine “Kay” Elizabeth Humphreys (née Donelan) age 82 of Fitchburg Massachusetts died peacefully, Monday, July 25, 2016 surrounded by loved ones.

 

Kay was born February 28, 1934 in Fitchburg Massachusetts, the 9th of 11 children born to Edward F. Donelan and Sarah Donelan (née Walsh), both Irish immigrants, both deceased.  While living in Fitchburg she was a member of Saint Bernard’s parish.

 

Family was so important to Kay and she loved spending time with her brothers and sisters and in later years with her own children and their families as well as her many nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her brothers John Donelan, Father Edward Donelan, and James Donelan, and sisters Mary Barker, Sister Mary Sarah, and Anne Trudel. Kay is survived by 4 of her siblings, Sarah (Sally) Murphy of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Francis Barr of  Beaver, Pennsylvania, Therese Mooney and husband Tom, of Mardela Springs, Maryland, and Patrick Donelan and wife Barbara of Fitchburg, Massachusetts; her children, Steven Humphreys and wife Paula of Valby, Denmark, Therese Hickman and husband Gary of Rochester, New Hampshire, Diane Karnstadt of Houston, Texas, Jacqueline Humphreys and wife Peggy Vezina of Montague Massachusetts, and Jeanette Robichaud and husband Mark of Athol, Massachusetts. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, all of whom brought her tremendous joy.

 

Kay graduated from St. Bernard’s High School in 1952 and immediately entered St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, receiving her Nursing diploma and then shortly thereafter passing her Registered Nurse exam in 1954.   She married David L. Humphreys and they were married for 22 years and had 5 children.

 

She was a nurse her entire adult life, caring for the sick, working with severely disabled children, and working as a visiting nurse with the Fitchburg Visiting Nurses Association. In 1976 she returned to school and received a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from Fitchburg State College and a Master’s Degree in Community Health from Boston College. After receiving her master’s degree she continued her studies at UMass Amherst where she earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies. She returned to Fitchburg State College as a professor and taught the next generation of nursing students.  On retirement from Fitchburg State College, she was awarded the position of Professor Emerita of Nursing and held that position until her death.  While a professor at Fitchburg State College, she began volunteering for 2 weeks each year in an Intercultural Nursing, Inc. program in the remote villages of the Dominican Republic. This was a passion of hers and she continued to participate and often lead these trips for 23 years, with her last trip in January of 2013.

 

Kay had a quick wit and a sharp mind.  She was an expert Scrabble player.  She enjoyed singing and musical theatre and regularly attended the Theatre at the Mount.

 

She was a lifelong world traveler.  Earlier in her life she had lived in Turkey and Germany with her family.  In her lifetime she visited 69 countries and achieved her goal of being on all seven continents when she was in her 70s.  Her preferred mode of travel was off the beaten path, living for two weeks in a yurt on the Mongolian plains, braving the ice of Antarctica to view the penguins, and living for a month in an ashram in India.