Obituary of Kathleen Mary DeMarchi

Kathleen Mary (Browne) DeMarchi, 77, longtime resident of West Peabody, passed away suddenly at Seasons of Danvers. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 53 years, William Edward DeMarchi Jr. Kathleen was born in Brooklyn, NY, on 11 August 1942, adopted daughter of the late John and Sarah Browne. She was raised and educated in Brooklyn, and was a flight attendant for Northeast Airlines, during which time she met William in Winthrop. After they married and settled in Peabody, she earned a Nursing Degree from Northern Essex Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Merrimack College. For nearly 30 years she worked as an RN at New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham and Mount Pleasant Hospital in Lynn. After retiring, she volunteered at Sawtelle Hospice in Reading for 10 years. Her interests and hobbies included reading voraciously on any and all subjects, knitting, cooking, traveling, genealogy research, old movies, Classical music, board games, puzzles (crossword and jigsaw), and dancing. She also had a sweet tooth so insatiable that she once enlisted the services of a hypnotist to help her break a jellybean habit. To describe her as “sociable” would be like describing the sun as “hot.” She had a knack for establishing an immediate, deep connection with those she met. Her wide and devoted social circle included people she’d befriended 70+ years ago, as well as people she’d met just a few months ago. People were drawn to Kathleen’s sweetness and sincerity, her bottomless curiosity, her wide-ranging knowledge, and her tireless energy. Her friends—from her childhood in Brooklyn, from her years as a flight attendant, from nursing school, from church and work, from her reading group (who called themselves “The Bookies”)—say that once the bonds of friendship with Kathleen were formed, they grew stronger and stronger over the years. The only thing Kathleen loved more than spending time with her friends was spending time with her family. She delighted in visiting with her children and grandchildren, supporting them in their careers, interests and education, and encouraging them through word and deed to emulate her generosity and curiosity. Later in life, after her adopted parents had passed, Kathleen searched for and reunited with her birth mother, Jeanne Hagelberg, who was living in England. They met in the 1990s and visited each other regularly thereafter. She was thrilled to discover that through Jeanne she had five half sisters, who welcomed her as a full sister. One of the great joys of her life was getting to know them all over the last 25 years. She is survived by her birth mother, Jeanne Hagelberg, of Cambridge, England; her children, Andrea DeMarchi of Acton, ME, Thomas DeMarchi of Naples, FL, Michael and his wife Tiffany DeMarchi of Peabody; her grandchildren, Nicholas Bezanson, Charlie DeMarchi, Ariana DeMarchi, and Dominic DeMarchi; her brother and sister-in-law, John and Elizabeth Browne of Staten Island, NY; and many neighbors and close friends. Just before she died, Kathleen was informed that she was about to become a great-grandmother. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of Chicago: https://act.alz.org