UPDATED OCTOBER 22, 2015-REST IN PEACE KATHY MAHONEY SORABELLA

UPDATED-OCTOBER 22, 2015

OBITUARY

NATICK: Kathleen (Mahoney) Sorabella, LICSW, age 48, a lifelong Natick resident, died peacefully on Tuesday evening, October 20, 2015 at her home. She was the devoted wife of Carl D. Sorabella. Born, raised, and educated in Natick, she was a daughter of Edward F. “Ned” Mahoney of Natick and the late Barbara (Krauss) Mahoney.  Kathy was very active in volunteerism and community affairs, and had been instrumental in bringing back Fourth of July fireworks to Natick.  Her caring for others led her to conceive and bring to fruition SHADOWS, a safe place of refuge for women in need. Eventually entrusted to SMOC, SHADOWS is thriving to this day. Kathy was recognized for her work in 1994, when she was hailed MetroWest Woman of the Year. She was honored to be a member of the Olympic Torch Relay Team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.  After a well deserved rest, Kathy earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Framingham State University and went on to receive her Master’s in Social Work from Simmons College in 2008. After clinical work she was granted her LICSW by the state.  She enjoyed travel, family and friends, and in quiet times enjoyed creative writing and all genres of music. Mother of the late Ryley Sorabella, she is also survived by her siblings, Kevin Mahoney and his wife Sharon of AZ, Marcia Haines and her husband Michael of FL, Thomas Mahoney and his wife Michelle of Sandwich, and Kara Malcolm and her husband Chip of Natick; sisters-in-law, Doreen Newhouse of Germany, Denise Sorabella of So. Yarmouth, and Gail Guarino and her husband Richard of Gardner; an uncle, Paul Krauss and his wife Sally of NC; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Her funeral will be from the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street at Natick Common, on Monday, Oct. 26th at 9:00AM with a Mass of Christian Burial in Saint Linus Church, 119 Hartford Street, Natick at 10:00AM.  Burial will follow at Saint Patrick Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Sunday, 5 – 8PM.  Donations may be made in Kathy’s memory to benefit her brainchild, SHADOWS, c/o SMOC, 7 Bishop St., Framingham, MA 01702.

To View Guestbook, Sign Guestbook and Directions to the Funeral Home-CLICK HERE.

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REST IN PEACE KATHY MAHONEY SORABELLA

Kathy Sorabella died on October 20th, 2015 at the age of 48, after a long battle against cancer.

I never met Kathy or her husband Carl (see picture above, they were inseparable) but had written a two part series about about their struggles in 2011 (see the series at the links below).

http://jerrywolkoff.blogspot.com/2011/07/have-heart.html

http://jerrywolkoff.blogspot.com/2011/07/have-heart-part-2-updated-news.html

Kathy Sorabella knew what it meant to struggle, fight, and never give up.

The fact she was homeless for two years as a young adult inspired her to open a shelter to give hard-luck women like her a place to go.

"My fear (was) dying and never having made a difference in the world," Kathy Sorabella once said, but she then became an accomplished Social Worker, obtained her Masters Degree in Social Work, and her Certification license from the State of Massachusetts. 

And she did make a difference in people's lives despite her hardships as a homeless young adult and later in her brave battle with Cancer.

Kathy and I exchanged e-mails over the years and she showed me and the others who knew her what the meaning of courage is all about.

Kathy was intelligent, compassionate, loving, kind and driven by a deep desire to make a positive difference in the world  

When that girl got something in her head, there was no stopping her from fighting to get what she wanted.  

It's so sad that her life ended this way after all she overcame in using her own difficulties to learn how to help others.  

She accomplished a lot of good, and did it with incredible passion.

Kathy Mahoney Sorabella was a warrior who fought against evil, loved life, and died much too young.

She will be missed by those who knew her and is an inspiration to all of us as a human being who made a difference in this world. 

REST IN PEACE KATHY.