Kathleen Di Lullo

Kathleen M. Di Lullo (nee O'Connor), 72, of West Chester, PA, passed away November 1, 2019.  Born June 22, 1947 in Philadelphia, PA, she was the daughter of the late Thomas J. and Kathryn T. (nee Lynch) O'Connor. She was a graduate of Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School, Class of 1965, and Immaculata University, Class of 1969.  She earned her Master's Degree from Temple University in 1985. From Pennsylvania State University, she earned her Supervisory Certification in Special Education (1988) and an Autism Specialist Credential (2002).

Kathleen was the beloved wife of Robert Di Lullo; loving mother of Jennifer K. Di Lullo and Christopher R. Di Lullo (Kristin M.); adoring grandmother of Madeline, Brayden, and Emery; and dear sister of Michael O'Connor (Eileen) and sister-in-law of Nancy O'Connor. Kate was the proud aunt of many nieces and nephews, and she is survived by her many friends who will miss her dearly.  She was predeceased by her brother, Thomas O'Connor.

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday December 3, 2019 at Saints Simon & Jude Roman Catholic Church at 8 Cavanaugh Court, West Chester, PA.  Visitation at 11am, Mass Service to begin at 12pm.  A Celebration of Life will follow immediately after the service at the Farmhouse at People’s Light and Theater in Malvern, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made “In Memory of Kate DiLullo” to the Women’s Resource Center serving Southeastern Pennsylvania, a non-profit organization where Kate volunteered during her retirement years.  You may send a check to:

Women’s Resource Center
113 W. Wayne Ave, Wayne, PA 19087
www.womensresourcecenter.net/donate/

Click on the link above, and select the “Donate” button.  Then follow the directions and click on “I would like to dedicate this donation”.

In addition to contributions, Kate’s family asks that each person reading this obituary consider becoming an organ donor.  As of July 2019, over 100,000 people in America are waiting for a donated organ.  20 of these people will die each day waiting for a donation.  95% of American Adults support organ donation but only 58% actually register as organ donors.

We need more people to become organ donors.  You don’t know how important it is until someone you love is in need.

www.organdonor.gov/register.html
https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html

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On January 3, 1970, Kathleen (Kate) married her childhood sweetheart Robert (Bob) Di Lullo.  They lived in California for two years during Bob’s service in the Navy.  Upon returning to Philadelphia in 1972, Kate found a job at a non-profit caring for children with special needs. This accident of employment led to a 30+ year career as a dedicated special education teacher, job coordinator, and mentor.

Kate was a highly regarded expert in the field of Special Education, specializing in “Post-Secondary Transition from School to Adult Life”.  As a classroom teacher, Kate became convinced that many special education students were capable of working in retail and other community settings. She worked to establish partnerships with supermarkets and other retailers, promoting supervised training for special needs students, and eventually creating job coach positions specifically for this purpose.

As an Educational Consultant, Kate facilitated teacher training for the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Education for special education personnel, implementing an expanded transition model.  She later became Assistant Director and then Acting Director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN) office.

Friends and family knew Kate as honest, straight-forward, cheerful, and a bit sarcastic - but always with a loving glint in her eye.  She embodied the French sense of “joie de vivre”.  She wore bright colors and big sunglasses.  She loved Rock ‘n’ Roll music, frequently pausing any given task to dance and sing with her children and grandchildren.  As one friend remembers her, Kate was always driving with the windows down, blasting Billy Joel, and singing real loud!

She often said that she was blessed with her Irish ancestors’ gift-of-gab (and wit, she would add!) Every good-bye took at least 20 minutes because she wanted to tell you “just one more thing.”  She was a wordsmith and a grammar guru.  She was A DOER, frequently listening to her children's problems then asking, “So what are you going to DO about it?  Take ACTION.”

Kate was a consummate gardener.  She relished the chance to work in the dirt each spring, to bring to life her planned design each summer, and she continued to tend her beds late into the fall, as she planned for the next year.  She had an eye for design, and was constantly working on home renovation projects - design, paint, color, light - both inside and outside.  The atmosphere and aesthetic of the space around her were of utmost importance.

Kate loved the Beach, and visited the Jersey Shore with her children at every opportunity, just as her parents and grandparents had done before her.   She spent her adult years staying active playing tennis, skiing and gardening.  She was a passionate (some would say rabid) fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, and was thrilled to watch the Eagles win the Super Bowl in 2018 surrounded by her family.

Throughout her life, she was a strong believer in and advocate for Women’s Rights.  If you ever met Kate, you heard her opinions on this topic… often.  She never backed down from a debate.  She believed in strong women, and made sure that she raised up the women around her to feel just as strong and empowered.  In her retirement years, she volunteered with the Women's Resource Center in Wayne, supporting girls leadership programs and writing articles about grant recipients from this program.  It was her final job, and she was thrilled to have the opportunity to put the power of her advocacy toward this life-long passion.

She spent her retirement years traveling around the US and Europe, reconnecting with high school and college friends, hosting family parties, and buying everything that her granddaughter Maddie and her grandson Brayden wanted.  Her grandkids loved playing tag around the house with Kate, aka “the GG monster,” GG being her self appointed title, short for “Gorgeous Grandmom.” She spent her final year adoring her infant granddaughter Emery, and being cared for by her beloved husband of almost 50 years, Bob.

On November 1, 2019, Kate passed away due to complications with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a chronic lung disease that she had been fighting for many years, including being listed as a potential candidate for a lung transplant.  She stayed strong to the end, always choosing to live one more day.  During her last week, she said “I love my family too much to leave.”  We will miss Kate’s fierce love of life and her fighting spirit forever.