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Kathryn McGinity Cahill, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, accomplished
potter, photographer, writer and painter, died on January 17th,
2004 at her home on Ocean Boulevard, with her husband, Kevin and
her five sons, Kevin, Sean, Christy, Brendan and Denis by her
side. She was waked at home, and her friends and neighbors
came and paid respects to a remarkable woman. Her funeral
was simple and moving to those who crowded into the church of Our
Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
Kate
Cahill was a lifelong resident of Point Lookout, first spending
her summers here as the daughter of Leo and Mildred McGinity in
the clapboard home on Glenwood Avenue ferried over from Freeport
by her grandparents in 1899, at a time when there were only sand
dunes, a coast guard station, and a few fishing shacks where the
town now stands. In one of the many literary and artistic projects
of her later years, Kate lovingly edited and published her
mother's remembrances of those early days on the island, which
preserve a unique record of that time in Point Lookout's history.
As a
young teenager here she met the young man, Kevin Cahill, who was
fortunate to later become her husband. After living abroad, they
bought a home on Parkside Drive, later moving to Ocean Boulevard,
where Kate cultivated her beautiful seaside garden, one of the
town's hidden treasures.
On her
daily walks around Pt. Lookout, most always accompanied by her
husband, her camera at the ready, she documented the town, its
people, and its spirit in a way that, perhaps, only someone who
had grown with the town could do. She was the diarist of a
changing world, the transformation of our small community from one
of beach bungalows to a commuter town. Her book of
photographs, A Walk Around Town, is a tribute to and a
record of the town she knew and loved so well, its children and
citizens, its holiday celebrations, its streets and houses and
bayside fishing stations, the beauty of its natural setting over
the changing seasons. In the introduction to that book, Kate
wrote, "This is the town of my childhood, the town I have
left and returned to for all my life; it is my wellspring, the
fount of many of my happiest and most significant memories."
Her
pottery table was a feature in every Point Lookout Art Show, and
she enjoyed sharing her talents with friends and neighbors.
She gave her photographs freely; the week before she died she
delivered two of them to old friends with a note. She bore
her final illness with grace and without complaint. So many people
have expressed shock at her death, saying that they had just seen
her in Merola's, helping clean the beach on Earth Day, at the Post
Office, or walking the town with Kevin, or a group of her sons, or
her six treasured grandchildren.
As a
mother, she instilled in her family the need to be creative, to
read, to learn, to listen, and to help those who needed
help. As those close to Kate knew well, she was her
husband's compass, constantly leading him in the right direction,
to the right decision. Her loss will be felt deeply by many in the
town.
__________________________________________
Remarks
offered At the Funeral of Kathryn Cahill - January 19, 2004
Two
wise old men called shortly after Kate’s death on Saturday and
used identical words to describe the impact that my wife had on
them and, I believe, on many others. They said she
represented “sacred purity”. That is a remarkable
attribute for any person. Yet, there was indeed something ethereal
about Kate that set her apart from us mere mortals – she was as
uncomplicated and overtly good as an innocent child; she also had
the wisdom and courage of an ancient prophet, the uncompromising
integrity of one who inherently knows what is right. There
was no guile, and no hidden agendas, in her life. She was
simple and direct in her belief that, ultimately, only love
matters, and that we are put on earth to give, and give again, and
again, till that love becomes so all embracing that it could be
shared with all who wished to be part of her journey of life.
In
her own quiet, but far reaching manner, Kate’s approach – her
sacred purity –worked miracles, whether she was with the wealthy
and the powerful, or whether, where she was happiest, in serving
the displaced, the poor and sick in Somalia, the Sudan or
Nicaragua, and even those in trouble here in Point Lookout or New
York.
As
many of you were privileged to know, she also added to our lives
by creating beautiful objects that reflected her unique vision and
enormous talent. Her pottery and photos, paintings and
writings, must be treasured items by those who will never again
have her warm and gentle smile, her caring hands, the flow of her
white hair in the wind.
On
behalf of our sons, our grandchildren and our family, especially
her sister Nora, I thank those of you who could be here today as
well as the many who loved Kate but could not be physically with
us to share this Mass of Resurrection.
I
trust the angels have taken my beloved to a place of peace and
joy, where free from pain, she will await our coming.
__________________________________________ In
Loving Memory
In
loving memory of our beloved sister Katy Sue McGinity
Cahill
from her bothers and sisters: Leo,
Kenneth, Frank McGinity, Grace McGinity Middlemiss and Nora
McGinity Frei. We spent many wonderful times with
Katy at our family home on Glenwood Avenue.
We shall
miss her very much.
__________________________________________
A
letter and poem from her brother Frank McGinity
I
wanted to reflect on the early part of Kate's life. We were only
13 months apart and part of a family of six. And as you can
imagine, sometimes we got lost in the shuffle. Some would ask
" who are you? " and we would answer Kate and Frank. So
I think we were a little closer because of the big family of
sisters, brothers and cousins.
When
I heard Kate was dying, I asked my wife, Sheila, whether I should
go back. She suggested I do but I called Nora and she thought not.
I asked Sheila again what she would suggest I do and she said why
don't you call Nora and ask her to tell Kate that I love her. Over
the 68 years I've known Kate, I probably never said that yet I
always owed her a great deal. When we were three and four, Kate
would read the funny papers to me. When we were teens, Kate would
fix me up with
a
nice looking friend. When I came back from Japan she would
patiently
listen
to my stories and concerns. We were comrades.
When
I moved to California forty years ago, we naturally grew apart but
deep down we had that affection for one another that never went
away. I wrote a poem to her recently, (you don't usually write
poems to your sister but Kate was special) which I like to read to
you. It's not something that would qualify for the AIHS Recorder
but it was a way to say, " I love you"
A
Potter's Sale
Her face reflected from the Potter's
wheel
determined, with her hands of steel
a part of her ingrained in the work of art
her love, her sorrows, her full heart.
A piece of her is now for sale
people examining will she fail?
Will the buyer feel the same?
Love the piece, remember the name?
No concern - all
are red tagged
every bowl is bought and bagged
a sly smile from the Potter's face
her inventory is now erased.
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