Obituary of Kathryn "Kay" (Hodge) Doherty

Kathryn “Kay” (Hodge) Doherty, 89, of Peabody, died Wednesday evening at the NSMC Salem Hospital after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Thomas J. Doherty and earlier the late David W. Dempster. She was born in Cambridge, MA on March 11, 1920, the daughter of the late Clifford and Agnes (O’Neil) Hodge and was raised in Arlington graduating from Arlington High School. She had resided in Peabody for the past 51 years. She had been a policewoman working as a Crossing Guard in Arlington for five years. Later, after raising her children, she was a sales clerk at the former Lechmere Sales Store in Danvers for 10 years prior to her retirement. She was a devout member of St. John’s Church where she was the first woman Eucharistic Minister and was also a member of St. John’s Ladies Sodality for many years. Kay had been a member and served as president for twenty five years of the North Shore Catholic Charities League and also served on the board of the Catholic Charities North for many years. She was an avid reader, enjoyed traveling and entertaining and was a strong nurturer to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Thomas E. and Jamie Doherty of Salem, NH, David and Judy Dempster of Brunswick, GA, Shawn and Jean Doherty of Bedford, MA, Peter and Jane Doherty of New Market, MD, Maureen Doherty Mores and her husband Herbert of Norfolk, MA, Pamela Dempster Ferreira and her husband Edward of Naples, Fl., Erin Doherty Heenan and her husband Dennis Heenan of Salem, MA, Richard and Mary Hargraves of Rowley, MA, Robert and Barbara Hargraves of Derry, NH and Susan Hargraves and her husband Frank Mc Carthy Jr. of Nahant. She is also survived by her 15 grandchildren, Edward, James and Matthew Ferreira, Matthew and Rebecca Mores, Christopher Doherty, Meegan Finnegan, Jonathan Dempster, Scott, Robert and Daniel Doherty, Patrick and Dylan Doherty, Connor and Alannah Heenan, five great grandchildren , a brother and sister -in-law, C. Edward and Mary Hodge of Akron, Ohio and several nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Robert Hodge and Phyllis Hargraves and the grandmother of the late Bridget Kathryn Heenan. A Visitation will be held on Sunday from 3:00 until 7:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home at the 82 Lynn St., Peabody facility. Her funeral will be held on Monday at 10:00 AM from the Funeral Home followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Baptist Church, 16 Church St., Peabody at 11:00 AM. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Catholic Charities North, 55 Lynn Shore Drive, Lynn, MA 01902 in her memory.