Kathleen Mary Sulentor

Kathleen Mary Sulentor went on to her “Great Reward” (her words) on Saturday, September 16th, 2017. She died peacefully and mercifully among family. Within minutes of this last visit, Kathleen decided that it was time for her exit too. Great plan!

On July 21, 1921, Kathleen Mary Lahey was born in New Windsor, New York along the Hudson River. She was the only child of William Anthony Lahey and Elizabeth “Bess” Gegenheimer Lahey. Kathleen, or “Lovey” as the Catholic nuns nicknamed her, attended St. Patrick’s school and Mount St. Mary’s Academy in Newburgh. She was a conscientious and talented student, and peppered that reputation with her adventurous spirit. By all accounts, accurate of course, she was the original free-range kid. She could vividly recount every carefree excursion with her favorite cousin, Bet O’Mara, and all of those hatched schemes ended well. It was not a stretch for Kathleen to color outside the lines. Once, on a whim, she “borrowed” her father’s car for a jaunt down the river to Yankee Stadium all by her lonesome. She recalled watching the Brooklyn Dodgers play the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds when news broke of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.

Kathleen adored her parents. After her mother’s early death from breast cancer, she went to work at West Point. During WWII, she served as secretary to a U.S. Army general. It was there that she met her future husband, Joseph Sulentor. They wed on February 12, 1945 at St. Joseph’s Church. Cousin Bet played the organ!

Lovey and Joe set out West to California! There, Joe eventually established, with a partner, a seafood brokerage in Los Angeles. Kathleen’s father followed them, and in March 1946, William Lahey’s first grandson, William John, was born, followed by Donna Jo and Laurie Ann. “Poppa Bill” lived with the Sulentor family for the remainder of his life, always present to assist with homework, take the kids to the beach, and watch his beloved San Francisco Giants.

After Joe died, Kathleen eventually moved north, spending a few years with her daughter Laurie’s family, and then on to Bozeman, MT; her favorite place of all. She volunteered at Resurrection Catholic Parish, making salads and serving lunches for MSU students. One fall day, while working at “Chunch,” she fell and fractured her hip, thus ending that fun stint.

Kathleen lived for her family, Sunday dinners, Notre Dame football, the Dodgers, Rafa Nadal, and sneaking little tidbits to her canine companions Hunter, Hank, Scout, and Pippa. She cheered the grandkids on at countless baseball games, tennis, and soccer matches.

Kathleen is preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Billy, and granddaughter Clare. She is survived by her two daughters Donna Harbison and Laurie (Dave) Brauch; daughter-in-law Sharon Sulentor; ten grandchildren Mary (Paul) Miloe, Anne (Jason) Webber, Joe (Sarah) Sulentor, John (Lauren) Sulentor, Billy (Whitney) Sulentor, Melissa Harbison, Kathleen Harbison, Kelly (Trent) Dykman, Kate (Steven) Cook, and Hannah Brauch; nine great-grandchildren Jenna, Thomas, Elise, Matthew, Ava, Will, Pete, Lily, and Lexi.

A Funeral Mass for Kathleen is set for November 3rd, 2017 at Holy Trinity Parish in San Pedro, CA. Memorials may be made in Kathleen’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association Montana at 3010 11th Ave. N. Billings, MT 59101 or online at http://www.alz.org/montana/in_my_community_donate.asp. The family wishes to thank Dr. Heather Kjerstad, nurse Lauren, nurse Matt Sonnek, the Compassus Hospice, and the loving staff at Parkhaven Retirement in Manhattan, Montana. Condolences and memories may be shared with Kathleen’s family at dahlcares.com.