ISHPEMING, MI - It is with deep sadness that the family of Kathryn Gagliardi shares that she passed peacefully on July 4, 2026, at 77 years of age. Kathy was born in 1948 and grew up with numerous aunts, uncles and first cousins as part of her upbringing in Ishpeming, Michigan. She was a lifelong member of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church community as well as an ardent feminist and advocate for social justice.

Kathy was a dedicated mother, voracious reader and loved to knit. She took numerous cooking classes, having been raised working in the family restaurant business owned by her parents. Her talent and creativity in the kitchen cannot be understated, and those who knew her remember her gift, especially with Italian food and baking bread.

Kathy is survived by her sister, Mary Jo Murray (Martin Murray); her brother, Anthony “Tony” Gagliardi; her daughter, Joanna Kitto, of Arvada, Colorado; her son, Michael J. Kitto, Jr., of Shelby Township, Michigan; her daughter, Margaret (née Lind) Davis (Chris Davis) of Elmhurst, Illinois; and daughter, Kathryn Lind, of Aurora, Colorado; as well as by eight grandchildren who loved her: River, Alexander and Dominic Kitto; Emma, Nicholas and Christopher Ambroziak; and Thomas and William Davis; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her mother, Joanne (née Lindbom) Gagliardi; her father, Anthony “Gigs” Gagliardi; and her sister, Linda Gagliardi Byers.

A memorial mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Ishpeming at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, with family and friends also invited for a Celebration of Life luncheon immediately after the service at Teal Lake Lodge in Al Quaal in Ishpeming. Friends and family are encouraged to share memories. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to St. Vincent de Paul of 322 Cleveland Ave, Ishpeming, MI, 49849.

A full obituary may also be viewed at bjorkandzhulkie.com, where relatives and friends are invited to leave notes of remembrance.