Catherine Pauline Schweitzer, known to many as Kay, Katy, or Mimi, of Hartwick, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2023 at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown. She was 96 years old.
Kay was born on October 26, 1926 in Little York, New Jersey to the late Margaret (Gallagher) Mai and the late Philip Mai Sr. Her early childhood was on a farm in the New Jersey countryside with her 13 brothers and sisters. When the family moved to Avenel, NJ, the one-room schoolhouse she and her siblings attended actually closed for lack of students. During World War II, she worked for the Regina Corporation (known for its vacuums) making bomb fuses.
Kay married the late Donald Schweitzer on July 13, 1947, in St. Andrews Catholic Church, Avenel. After Don retired in 1983, they moved from Edison, NJ to Hartwick. She was a widow since 1988 and lived independently into her 90s. She enjoyed gardening, feeding her backyard birds, cooking for her family, and taking care of her grandchildren. In her early life in New Jersey, she enjoyed being a troop leader for Girl Scouts.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Kathleen Hoffman. She is survived by her son, George Schweitzer and his partner, Pamela Markel, of Windsor, PA, and her daughter, Theresa Covert, of West Winfield.
She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren and great grandchildren: Margaret Hoffman and her partner, David Sherman, of Southport, ME; Colleen Witter, her husband, Jason, and their children Mackenzie and Gwendolyn, of West Winfield; Dana Conte, her husband, Nathan, and their children Joseph, Kathryn, and John, of Hartwick; Lisa Covert, her husband, Jason Rashkow, and their daughter, Cora Rashkow, of Castleton-on-Hudson, NY; and Patrick Schweitzer, of Red Lion, PA.
She is survived by her sister, Victoria Stavick, of Whiting, NJ, and many extended family members. She was predeceased by her brothers: Philip Jr., William, Gustave, John, and Frank, and her sisters: Pauline Mai, Florence Schink, Susan McQueeney, Elizabeth Baumle, Mary Johanesen, Grace Rimkus, and Margaret Kato.
The family will receive friends from 4-6 p.m., Friday, February 24, 2023, at Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 25, 2023, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, with Fr. Michael Cambi, Pastor officiating. To view a live stream of the Mass, please go to https://stmaryscoop.org and click on “View the Livestream Here.”
Immediately following the Mass a time of remembrance and fellowship will be held in the St. Mary's Parish Hall and all are welcome to join.
A private family burial will be later this Spring in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index.
In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial donations may be made to the Hartwick Emergency Squad, P.O. Box 208, Hartwick, NY 13348.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
