Katherine S. Gilbert, 100, of Dewitt, passed away July 23, 2019, at the home of her daughter Nancy McDowell in Skaneateles.
Katherine was born on Nov. 3, 1918, in Syracuse, to John L. and Margaret F. Flanagan. Katherine graduated from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing as a registered nurse in 1938 and worked in New York City before returning to Syracuse to work in the medical dispensary at General Electric during World War II. Katherine was a communicant and active member of the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Syracuse and a long-standing member of the Onondaga Art Guild.
Katherine was predeceased by her husband of 40 years, John F. Sullivan, her son, Nicholas H. Sullivan, her second husband of 22 years, Dr. Paul W. Gilbert, her parents John and Margaret Flanagan, four sisters, El McGann, Dorothy Dembroske, Margaret Flanagan and Betty DeFazio, and brother John “Jack” Flanagan.
Katherine is survived by her daughters, Katherine (Fredrick) Jacobs of Lansing, MI, Elizabeth (Albert) Azzam of Raleigh, NC, Nancy (Douglas) McDowell of Skaneateles, and Mary (Jack) Madore of Bloomington, IN, her sister Suzanne Congel of Fayetteville, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Katherine was an avid reader, artist and pianist until losing her vision to macular degeneration. She never complained about her loss of vision, but instead developed a fine-tuned ear for listening; listening to music and audio books, but more importantly, Katherine listened with genuine interest to everyone who came into her life. For seven years before moving to Skaneateles, Katherine resided at The Nottingham Retirement Home in Jamesville, where she was cared for with kindness and compassion. Katherine will be remembered for her love of art and literature, her keen sense of curiosity and her unusually sharp mind. She will be missed by all who knew her.
In 1991, Katherine and Paul endowed an undergraduate scholarship, “The Gilbert and Sullivan Scholarship” for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Syracuse University.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 259 East Onondaga St., Syracuse, at 9:30 a.m. on Monday July 29, under the direction of the Burns Garfield Funeral Home, followed by a reception at Hotel Syracuse (Marriott). Private burial services will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Baldwinsville.
In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to The Faith Formation Program at The Immaculate Conception of Syracuse.
