Kathleen Marie Geary

Kathleen Marie Geary, of Petersham, passed away at home on July 25, 2025. Kathleen was born in Lowell, MA on November 26, 1968 to James M. Geary Jr. and Marie Robinson Geary. Kathleen leaves her beloved sweetheart, David Randall Lockesmith of Petersham, along with his daughter, Isabel Grey Lockesmith of Greenfield. Kathleen leaves Bear the Cat under the tender care of David. She also wants to express her gratitude for the many years she was entrusted with Little Bear, the sweetest mutt ever.

Her loving memory will be held dear by her mother, Marie, as well as by her three siblings and their partners: Gretchen and Miguel Suarez, Rachel and Lee Feekins, James and Christine Reilly. On the Geary side, Kathleen leaves her two nephews, Bo Feekins and Sebastian Suarez, and her niece Georgia Feekins. Kathleen also leaves David’s brother Doug Smith and his wife Nicole Burton, as well as David’s sister Deirdre and her husband Steve Weisman. On the Smith clan side, Kathleen leaves Yona, Seneca, Emmitt, Sasha, Kayla, Jacob, and Ben. She also leaves many uncles, aunts, and cousins, and an extensive network of loving friends. She was loved by all who knew her in the mycelial web stretching across so many communities.

Kathleen loved life and shared so much joy, love, and a sense of wonder with people that she encountered. Kathleen loved to chat (like her father), fell a bit in love with everyone, and was passionate about many things: mushrooms, kayaks, animals, music, movies, books, waterfalls, and axolotls in mushroom hats. Kathleen enjoyed thinning carrots and harvesting tons of potatoes with David. She also enjoyed simply hanging laundry in the sunshine. Kathleen encouraged people to show love for one another and to work together towards a more peaceful and just world.

Kathleen was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in May 2023 and passed from related complications. She was grateful for the many medical professionals who cared for her at UMass Memorial Hospital, with special mention of Dr. Alice Gwendolyn Caffrey (“the Amazing AGC”), whose kindness, knowledge, and love of Andrea Gibson enriched Kathleen’s life immeasurably. During her treatment, Kathleen was supported by an incredibly talented group of individuals who showed enormous love, clear communication, and deep wisdom in caring for her. We are deeply grateful for all of these wonderful people.

In lieu of flowers, Kathleen suggested numerous ideas for donations in her memory, including your local animal shelter or your local food bank. In terms of cancer support, donations are suggested to The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, https://giving.theschwartzcenter.org/ , which promotes humanism in medicine. Other suggestions are to Care Central VNA & Hospice in Gardner, MA, https://carecentralvnahospice.org/ , and also Cancer Connection in Northampton, MA, https://www.cancer-connection.org/donate . The people at these organizations are extremely helpful in so many ways, as they support patients and their families during the most challenging times.

Kathleen would want us all to remember that “love is all that matters!”

A celebration of Kathleen’s life will be held in Petersham, MA on September 20th at the Petersham Unitarian Universalist Church (1 Common Street), beginning at 12:00 noon.