Kathryn "Kathy" Nannery - Millennium Cremation Service

Kathryn “Kathy” Nannery

May 09, 1942 ~ February 12, 2025

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Kathryn Nannery, 82, of Port St. Lucie, Florida lost her 30+ year battle with Parkinson’s Disease on February 12, 2025.
Kathy was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1942, the middle child of George and Enda Hehner. Her father George sold and repaired all of the outboard motors in Brooklyn, and perhaps not surprisingly, Kathy’s childhood summers were spent water skiing and boating on Jamaica Bay with her brothers George and Bob. After high school, Kathy attended St. Clare’s Nursing School, white nurse’s cap and all. She served as a registered nurse for more than 20 years at hospitals across New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island.
Despite not being Italian, Kathy made the world’s best lasagna. Her rice pudding and chocolate cake were particularly famous. After completing the entire Grand Diplome Cooking Course by mail, Kathy could make anything. She delighted her children with homemade waffles and donuts for breakfast, along with her signature “camping breakfast.”
Kathy loved boating, camping, reading, and board games and inspired the same loves in her children–although no one could beat her at Scrabble. Before Parkinson’s took away her fine motor skills, she was a keen crocheter and crafted stunningly beautiful afghans. She was also amazingly handy and loved nothing more than a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s to check out the latest in faucets, paint colors, and lighting fixtures.
Kathy is survived by her daughter Krista of West Palm Beach, FL (somewhat handy) and her son Robert, of Astoria, Queens (very handy). The family remains forever grateful to neurologists Dr. Michael Okun and Dr. Kelly Foote at the University of Florida Shands Hospital who, in September of 2012, gave Kathy the gift of another 12+ years with her family through their innovative and life-extending deep brain stimulation surgery.
Kathy specifically asked her daughter to tell you that for the last 30 years, many people would say “Poor Kathy” after learning about her Parkinson’s. Kathy wants you to know that she outlived most of these people. So never let the haters keep you down.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at The University of Florida in Kathy’s memory. https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/028001-fixel-institute-advancement-fund/

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Condolence

Jen Mitchell

February 14, 2025, 7:01 pm

A beautiful tribute to a wonderful, strong, kind, caring, and loving woman. Aunt Kathy will forever be missed! Camping breakfast was the best!

Ann Mosblech

February 15, 2025, 12:01 am

I remember meeting Kathy when we were both RN’s in our 20’s working at King’s Highway Hospital in Brooklyn. She had just started working there and one day we had lunch together. I told her I was hoping to save my money and in the winter take off and move up to Hunter Mtn, NY to go skiing. She listened intently to my plans and then said to me, “I’ll go with you.” I was stunned since we hardly knew each other but she meant it and I had a partner for my scheme! A few months later we took a ride up to Tannersville, one town away from Hunter, to look for a house to rent. We found the sweetest old fashioned house and went to meet the elderly owners in the Bronx to make the arrangements. They liked us, being Nurses surely helped, and we signed the lease. We each had a few good girlfriends to join us plus 2 guy friends ( NYC policemen) and we were set. Surely, it was the best time in our lives! Wonderful friends, skiing just about every day, delicious dinners later in our homey kitchen, usually cooked by firemen from NYC on their off days. Our cozy house became known for friendly good times, even a few love stories and marriages followed a couple years later.(Maureen and Neil Wilson for example).
Kathy was the best friend to share this amazing adventure with and my heart smiles remembering. We took the house the following year too; it was good but not as special and carefree as that first year! Later we became wives and mothers ( our children the best gifts) but those Hunter Mtn days were special memories.

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