Catherine "Kay" Grady

Catherine “Kay” Grady, 90, widow of Chuck Grady, passed away Thursday, June 13, 2013 of natural causes. A vigil service will be held on Monday, June 17, 2013 at 7:00 pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. The funeral liturgy will be the next day, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 11:00 am also at Holy Spirit with burial to follow at Highland Cemetery. O’Connor Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Catherine always took an intense interest in the history of Montana. When she and her husband moved to Townsend Montana in the 1950’s, she was overjoyed that they were close to Helena and all of the history of that valley. She dove into that history and art in a way that never left her. She and her husband, Chuck, moved to Great Falls, Montana in 1965 where they had lived ever since. She and Chuck were friends to many people. Kay belonged to a family that viewed conversation as a competitive sport in which the losers were referred to as “listeners”. It’s the listener that gave many solace to those suffering when she volunteered at the then Columbus Hospital. Kay would have a rag and pretend to be dusting and casually engage a patient in conversation whereby they could share their concerns with someone who genuinely cared. She liked to walk and on her walks she would meet almost the entire population of Great Falls. Kay did not know a stranger. Mother and Grandmother were the two roles she took most seriously. Kay Grady was preceded in death by her parents Mary and P.F. Leonard of Miles City, MT; her husband Charles Richard Grady; her two sisters, Mary Ellen Kelly and Margaret Carr; brothers-in-law respectively Dan Kelly and Jack Carr. She is survived by a daughter, Ann Grady Dassinger and her husband Ronald residing in Topeka, KS; a son, Richard John Grady and his wife Leticia Fores residence of Chatham, NJ; grandchildren, Ashley Dassinger Carson and her husband Tyler also of Topeka, Sarah Dassinger of Great Falls, Maura Grady of New York City; great grandchildren, Lilly Carson and Grace Carson of Topeka; nieces and nephews from the aforementioned Kelly and Carr families. Donations gratefully accepted in Kay Grady’s name: Peace Hospice Great Falls.