Kathleen Marie Duffy - Obituary

Kathleen Marie Lawrence Duffy, known as “Smoochie” to her college friends, 74, a 37-year resident of Davidsonville, MD and previously of Long Island, NY, passed away November 27, 2025 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born on October 26, 1951 in Glen Cove, NY to the late Lewis and Miriam Lawrence, Kathleen graduated from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, NY in 1969 before receiving her B.S. from Mt. St. Vincent College in the Bronx, NY in 1973. She went on to establish a career as a Medical Technologist with St. Francis Hospital in NY, then started her own laboratory serving local medical practices and hospitals on Long Island. After moving to Maryland with her husband Dennis, Kathy worked in education as well as retail. Her personable and outgoing nature often led to chatting-up, if not out-right befriending, people in her checkout line, much to the consternation of managers. Substituting for Anne Arundel County public schools gave her the opportunity to provide relief for teachers in need of a break, especially on a long-term basis. She could often be found in the Art room of Davidsonville Elementary, and in the classrooms of Central Special. Kathleen was a devoted parishioner at Holy Family Catholic Church for decades. She started the daycare program for the parish, as well as the annual blood drive. Kathy also worked tirelessly for those in need; as a driving force for the parish’s relief program for inmates of Jessup prison, collections for the Lighthouse Shelter in Annapolis, and activities for the winter relief homeless shelter program. On multiple occasions she opened her home to teenagers escaping abusive situations and provided safety and security for extended periods. She once hired a private detective to find the birth mother of a young pregnant runaway and was able to reunite them in time for the delivery. Kathleen had a great passion for singing and was in the choir from pre-school through college, and most-affectionately with Holy Family. Singing the midnight mass on Christmas Eve with her friends in the choir was a highlight for her and something she prepared for all year. As her four children grew up and demanded less of her time and spiritual guidance, Kathy was able to focus on her own spirituality; participating weekly in Nocturnal Adoration, retreats, Bible study, and even joining the Secular Fransciscan Order (SFO) in 2008. In addition to her parents, Kathleen was preceded in death by her brothers, Kevin Lawrence (Alice) of Nashville, TN and Keith Lawrence of Philadelphia, PA. She is survived by her husband of over 51 years, Dennis Duffy; her children, Lynne (Paul) of Reisterstown, MD, Matthew (Lizzie) of Washington, DC, Chris (Laurel) of Baltimore, MD, and Erin of Davidsonville, MD; her brother, Kenneth (Anne) Lawrence of Tijeras, NM; her grandson Wyatt Duffy, and her adopted grandson Artem Kalmykov of Ukraine. Friends and family are invited to celebrate Kathleen’s life on Wednesday, December 10 from 4 to 7 pm at Holy Family Catholic Church, 826 W Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD, where a Memorial Mass will be held the following day, Thursday, December 11 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association (P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023), to an Alzheimer’s research organization of your choice, or to a local food bank or homeless shelter or a non-profit of your choice.