Family Remembers Woman Found On Beach In Hampton Bays: 'She Was A Kind, Loving Soul'

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — A heartbroken family is mourning a woman whose body was found on a Hampton Bays beach recently — and together they are finding comfort in the memories of her beautiful life.

Kristy Westerlind, 40, of Flanders, was found at Hubbard County Park Sept. 29; her death is believed to be non-criminal, police said. Her older sister, Erika Westerlind, said investigators are exploring the possibility that Kristy accidentally drowned.

In the days since getting the tragic news, Kristy's family has shared photographs and memories of the sister and mother they adored.

Erika, Erika's twin boys and Kristy's younger brother Devon, 26, spoke to Patch about her life.

"Kristy was a compassionate, empathetic, kind, loving soul," Erika said.

Erika said her sister, an LPN who specialized in the home care of pediatric and geriatric patients, "was sweet and caring, with a great sense of humor and a sharp wit. She was sarcastic and sassy, smart and spiritual."

Most important, Erika said, Kristy was a loving and devoted mother to her 16-year-old daughter, Ava.

"Kristy loved spending time with Ava, listening to music, going to the beach and making jewelry. She would study the rocks she strung together to make bracelets. She knew the mineral types of the stones she found and how they could be used for spiritual healing," Erika said.

From the day Kristy was born, Erika said, the two of them had an unbreakable bond.

"I wished for a sibling, and after 12 long years, she finally arrived. With her big blue eyes and chubby cheeks, she stole my heart. She had us all wrapped around her little finger. I loved to dress her up and curl her hair. I would take her to the park, to school and the beach. We had many sister sleepovers as she got older."

Laughter and tears

Erika said she remembers Kristy swearing to her, when she was about 10, that their parents had let her watch the movie 'Hell Raiser.'

"She was so convincing. I had nightmares for weeks after watching it with her. She became my best friend, my confidante, who shared the same warped sense of humor and a tad too much sarcasm. Her intelligence and quick wit were second to none," Erika said.

The pair even took some private investigation classes together and planned to call their PI business "Suspicious Sisters," Erika said.

"The 'laugh-until-we-cried' moments will always be treasured," Erika said. "She was an amazing aunt to my twin boys and I trusted her with their lives. I couldn’t have made it through those rough days without her."

When Kristy was about 20, Erika's husband created an apartment in their homefor her to live in with her Dalmation, Maxx.

"It was one of the best times of our lives, having her right downstairs," Kristy said. "She stayed with us until our father died by suicide in 1997, and then she moved back with my mom and brother. That was an absolutely horrible time in our lives that I don't think any of us ever fully recovered from."

And yet, she said, the sisters' relationship was incredibly close for many years.

"I was the first person she told when she became pregnant with Ava," Erika said.My mother and I were in the room with her when she gave birth to her amazing little girl. I watched her become an exceptional mom which made my heart swell with pride."

"Her enormous heart and endless empathy also made her an exceptional nurse. I know she loved every one of her patients like they were her own family. Her kind and compassionate spirit shone brightly and her timeless beauty turned heads wherever she went. No matter what separate paths our lives may have led us, there wasn’t a day I didn’t think of her. I wish we would have gotten the time to find our way back," she said.

Erika said she will always remember Kristy's unique laughter, huge blue eyes and the unexpectedly huge bear hugs from her petite sibling.

Erika said Kristy, who grew up in Oakdale, was a quiet child who spent most of her time with her younger brother Devon, as well as her cousins. She studied martial arts as a young girl, which made her strong and confident. She moved to the Hampton Bays area about three years ago after becoming disabled, Erika said.

Her favorite memory of her sister, she said, is vividly clear: "Seeing her become a mother."

As the grief-heavy days pass, Kristy's family carries on by remembering her "amazing qualities," Erika said. "We just keep talking about her."

When asked what she would most like people to know about her sister, Erika said, "How much she loved her daughter — and that not a day went by that Ava wasn’t thought of, spoken about or loved immensely."

Kristy's nephew, Tim, shared his own memories, including the times when his aunt volunteered for his elementary school class trips, as well as "countless Smith Haven Mall walk-arounds, never missing the Auntie Anne's pretzel stand."

He added, "Your stupid obsession of the movie 'Labyrinth.' Your seven-minute baked cookie brownies that may have well been served by taking scoops out of the mixing bowl because of how raw it was. Your 100+ compact disc collection that you kept in those 1990s CD- zip up holders. The countless hours Ronny and I would stare at it in awe because 1990s hip hop record album art was just beyond the definition of cool to a 10-year-old kid. Your stupid obsession with liquid hand sanitizer and your ridiculous insistence of constantly squeezing it in our cruddy, filthy, young twin boy hands," he said with a laugh.

Other memories, Tim said, include the time Kristy "bribed" him to ride the "Zipper" at the local fair with some stupid toy gun "snapper" set that he wanted — "and how that pretty much made me despise any other carnival or fair rides for the rest of my life. It literally got stuck temporarily for a few minutes while we were on the top."

Also, he said, he remembers his aunt's "complete and utter love and care for" a mentally disabled child she cared for as a nurse.

The memories, like so many bright flowers, color her nephew Tim's garden — including birthday gift bags and jokes, such as the time Kristy wrapped a "Polly-Pocket" Christmas gift and watched him open it to see his reaction. The times his aunt would climb into his bed, telling stories to calm his mind when she found him wide awake and unable to sleep at night when she babysat.

He also remembers "The endless junk food infused sleepovers, packed with awesome '80s and '90s VHS tapes because you used to work at the movie rental store. The horrible stupid purple gum you were infatuated with, that tasted like laundry detergent or dish soap. The Holtsville ecology site trips. Your ridiculous infatuation with ‪Eminem. The back of your mid-90s black-on-black Infiniti sedan is etched into my brain. You took any chance you got to throw Ronny and me into the back of that car and drive. These are only some of the hundreds of flashbacks and memories that have been replaying in my head since I heard what happened to you. You left the earth in the place you found peace. I'll never forget you. We love you, Kristy."

His twin brother Ronny shared his own memories, including the time Kristy left the lobster in the toilet bowl; many years of blueberry frozen waffles, movies and days spent at the pool and slide and her buying them invisible ink.

"The list goes on. She was such an amazing soul and we were extremely blessed to have her in our lives," he said.

To his aunt, he said, "There’s no question regarding the positive influence you had on my childhood. The best memories I have from being a kid stem from you being there. You valued and protected my brother and me like we were your own children. You inspired the both of us with your creative art and drawings, your taste in movies and music, and surrounded us with nothing but love and positive energy. Thank you for all of the amazing memories. Rest in peace, Aunt Kristy."

Kristy's brother Devon Westerlind also shared his love for his cherished sister.

"Kristy was two years older than me, so we were very close growing up. I have a lot of great memories from our younger days. Unfortunately, we grew apart over the years. I joined the Navy and traveled a lot," he said.

He reflected on younger days when she first got her license and would drive him and his friends around wherever we wanted to go.

"Those were the best times"

"We had a lot of great nights going out to eat and just hanging out. My favorite memories of Kristy are of the childhood we spent growing up together. Those were the best times," Devon said.

Faced with the pain of her loss, he said family support and the memories of his beloved sister will help get them through the sadness.

"She will be missed," he said of Kristy. "We loved her — and will continue to love her."

Photos courtesy of Kristy Westerlind's family.