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Kathleen A. Callahan-Lisa (2)

Kathleen A. Callahan-Lisa

Obituary

Kathleen A. Callahan Lisa, 56, died peacefully on December 29th, 2021, following a valiant struggle with cancer.  Kathy is survived by her loving husband, Michael Lisa and cherished daughter, Julianna, her beloved parents, Robert and Rosalia (Bisogno) Callahan, her loving sister, Maureen Buchheister and her husband Gary, dearest nephew and nieces, Kyle, Lindsey and Shannon, her cousin, Jo Ann Del Brocco and many loving cousins. 

Kathleen was born in Puerto Rico, lived in Riverdale, NY, and moved to Dumont in 1974.  Growing up in Dumont with her little sister, Maureen, under the loving and watchful guidance of her parents, Kathy clearly had a mind of her own from a very young age and was extremely bright and inquisitive.  Her love of her family was truly reflected in the warmth of the homes she made with her husband, Mike and her greatest accomplishment in life, her daughter, Julie, both in Dumont and Toms River and later in Forked River where they shared many happy memories of boat rides and family weekends.  Her family was paramount and she loved to gather them in her home, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, to share big family meals and loving company.  She shared her love of cooking on those occasions with meticulously planned menus and handed down to her daughter, Julie, and nieces, Lindsey and Shannon, her most important family recipes, in particular, her grandmother’s special lasagna, which they learned to prepare themselves (with help from Julie’s boyfriend, Lucas) by Kathy’s trusting that they were equal to the task. 

Kathy was drawn to the shore…her yearly family vacations in Wildwood with her parents, and Mike and Julie with her boyfriend, Lucas, her sister, Maureen and husband Gary (the brother Kathy never had), her nephew and nieces, Kyle, Lindsey and Shannon, and her cousin, Jo Ann and Aunt Rose and Uncle Martin Bertolini were the stuff of decades of memories of laughing, singing and dancing to Kyle’s DJ’ing, beach fun and dinners out at the local restaurants.  Kathy was a voracious reader and a lover of music.  She loved to dance and was observed bouncing along on the sidelines with barely contained enthusiasm and minimal restraint at Julie’s and Lindsey and Shannon’s Sweet Sixteen birthday bashes.  Kathy formed strong bonds and lifelong friendships that have lasted to this day with a million great memories of laughs shared and the crazy things of youth remembered, especially by her dear friends from childhood, Nancy and Lisa, who view Kathy and Maureen like sisters.  Kathy’s love of animals was apparent from a very young age beginning with the first family dog, Cherokee, and over the years, many a wayward rescue cat or dog found its way into her home and heart and adapted to living amongst her menagerie. 

Kathy was dedicated to her job at Lord Abbett and rose within the firm to the position of Director of Disbursement and Compensation Processing.  Kathy joined Lord Abbett in 1999 and was considered a trusted colleague and friend during her 22-year tenure at the firm.  Her managers and colleagues considered her a valued member of the Finance team through the many close relationships Kathy built, both personal and professional, during her time with them. In their estimation, those who had the opportunity to work with Kathy remember her as someone who gave 120% every day, a loyal team member who always got the job done, and a person who truly lived the firm values.  She was a caring friend to many there and in their view, her contributions to Lord Abbett were significant.

Kathy was one of a kind, strong and smart, a woman who touched so many lives and showed strength and perseverance, undaunted in the face of obstacles.  She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by all who knew and loved her. 

Visiting will be held on Tuesday, January 4th from 5-9 PM at the Beaugard-McKnight Funeral Home, 869 Kinderkamack Rd., River Edge, NJ.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, January 5th at 11 AM, St. Mary’s R.C. Church, Dumont. Entombment will follow at Garden of Memories, Washington Township.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kathleen’s memory to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Office of Development, P.O. Box 27106, NY, NY 10087-7106; https://giving.mskcc.org.

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