Kathleen Coffey, 97, of Boston, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2026.

Kathleen was born in Coolbane, County Kerry, Ireland, on November 19th, 1928. She was the eldest daughter of John & Margaret Coffey, followed by four brothers, Michael, Maurice, Francis, and Denis.

With the encouragement of her father, at age 16 she came to America alone in order to make a living. This was in 1944.

Upon arrival, she lived in Worcester with her aunt and uncle, Elsie and Timothy McCarthy, and their five children.

She graduated from the Springfield Hospital Training School for Nurses, became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurse (RN), and worked as a surgical, oncology, and private duty nurse. During her forty five year career, she worked in all of the major Boston hospitals. She frequently advocated for nurses to unionize, and would have been proud to support the recent nurses' strikes.

The two driving forces in her life were her determination to succeed professionally, and her drive to be a loving and caring mother.  What sustained her throughout her life challenges was her unshakable faith.

Kathleen was a great storyteller who enjoyed traveling, knitting, and reading. A big fan of Willie Nelson, she loved country music because it reminded her of traditional Irish music. She also loved the ocean, especially Cape Cod and its warm waters. The thing she enjoyed most was spending time with family and friends.

She was known for her resilience, terrific sense of humor, indomitable spirit, and her fierceness.

Kathleen is survived by her beloved daughter, Margarita (Meiggsie) Coffey, dear friend Billie Jean Klemp, and Billie Jean's son, Jordan, of whom she was especially fond.

She is also survived by her first cousins Elsie (Tangney) Healey and Noreen (Tangney) O'Connor, and several first cousins once removed, including the Dillons, Haglans, and McCarthys of Worcester. She is further survived by her cousin Jerry Linehan of London, England, and her Myers cousins of England and Ireland.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Margaret Coffey, her brothers, Michael Coffey, Maurice Coffey, Francis Coffey, Denis Coffey, and her first cousins Noel Tangney and Josephine (Tangney) Dillon.

Visitation will be on Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 9 AM to 11 AM at the Bell-O'Dea Funeral Home, at 376 Washington Street, Brookline, followed by a funeral mass at 11 AM at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, at 3 Linden Place, Brookline. The burial will take place at St. Michael Cemetery in Roslindale, at 500 Canterbury St, Boston. Contributions in her memory may be made to the National Psoriasis Foundation at https://www.psoriasis.org/ .