Obituary: Katherine C. Keveney, 57, Of North Haven

NORTH HAVEN, CT — (From Sisk Brothers Funeral Home): Katherine Corinne Keveney, 57, of North Haven, a loving and devoted sister, daughter and friend who enjoyed a long career in the financial services industry, died suddenly on Jan. 27.

Kate, named in honor of her paternal and maternal grandmothers, was the youngest child and only daughter of the late Carolyn (Olive) Keveney and William J. Keveney. She is survived by her brother, William J. Keveney III of Beverly Hills, Calif. She was predeceased by her brothers Peter J. Keveney and Thomas C. Keveney, both of North Haven.

Kate was born in New Haven at the Hospital of St. Raphael and was a proud lifelong resident of North Haven. She graduated from St. Rita School, North Haven High School and Stone School of Business (now Stone Academy), where she developed the skills that served her well in her business career.

Kate became well-known in the New Haven financial services world, working at Merrill Lynch before going on to a long, satisfying tenure at PaineWebber & Co. and UBS, which acquired PaineWebber in 2000. She was a devoted, valued member of a team of employees that later moved on to Merrill Lynch, bringing her back to that company for a second time. More recently, Kate put her skills to good use at the Foxon office of tax firm H&R Block.

Kate’s genial, caring personality served her well in her career. She treated customers with a genuine kindness and concern that earned her their ongoing business along with committed friendship. An H&R Block colleague admiringly remembered Kate offering waiting clients bottles of water and cookies paid for out of her own pocket.

Kate’s loyalty and devotion led to lifelong friendships with professional colleagues, school classmates, Spring Glen-area neighbors and fellow passengers on the Whitney Avenue bus line, Kate’s preferred mode of transportation for her daily work commute. She had a gift for lifting spirits. When she sensed her older brother Bill was having a challenging time adjusting to a new job and life in North Carolina, she arranged for a surprise Edible Arrangement delivery that told him his sister understood and was there to support him. “Katie,” as many friends knew her, loved and was loved by so many.

Friendship with Kate was a multi-generational commitment, as she became godmother to the children of both family and friends and an unofficial aunt to the children of other friends. Kate earned the beloved nickname, “Auntie Katie,” as she attended a multitude of children’s birthday parties, baptisms, graduations and sporting events.

Kate’s friends and family always will remember her sharp sense of humor, one that had a devastatingly funny and slightly devilish side. As a young girl in a family full of boys, she amazed and amused her older brothers with creative wordplay and songs, including “Brothers and Sisters,” a childhood feminist anthem whose closing line put her siblings in their place: “Sisters are better, Brothers are worser.”

A voracious reader, Kate was a familiar face at Hamden’s Miller Memorial Library, where she often could be found searching for the latest mystery and romance novels. She was a big fan of the Boston Red Sox, spending many happy days at Fenway Park with her father and brothers.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Divine Mercy Parish, St. Rita Church, 1620 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Burial will follow at St. Bernard Cemetery, New Haven. Calling hours at Sisk Brothers Funeral Home, 3105 Whitney Ave., Hamden, will be held before the funeral Mass on Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please make any donation in Kate’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit Sisk Brothers Funeral Home here.