Category: Kaits-Korner

Kait was literally an angel on Earth. She had the most beautiful smile and contagious laugh. She lit up every single room she entered and had such a memorable glow. I was lucky enough to become close to Kait in such a short amount of time and when she chose me to be her big, I was truly shocked. Kait and I shared a bond like no other and when she chose me, I felt so special and so admired. Kait and I shared so many memories, laughs, secrets, and more that I will cherish forever. Not a single day goes by when I don’t think about her or miss her. I get signs from her constantly and know she is watching me and with me. She is my guardian angel.

A funny memory I will never forget is when we were at a frat house party together and I dropped my phone in the nasty toilet, and she didn’t hesitate to quickly help me get it out and dry it off with a disgusting towel we found and she kept it safe and secured in her bag for me since I did not have one with me that night. I also remember getting pedicures together for our KD formal and then going over to her suite and she curled my hair for me while we ate sushi and listened to music…I loved going to her suite and just hanging out and being with her. I also loved when she would drive me around in her super cool charger with the L BLONDE license plate – suited her perfectly.

I cannot wait until we are reunited, in a better place and can continue to create endless memories. But until then, I will continue to appreciate signs from her, think about her each and every day and pray/talk to her and seek her wisdom and guidance.  Kait Doorhy will forever remain my gorgeous little in both my cell phone and in my heart.

Xoxo, Ashley Lanza (her KD Big)

My first memory of Kaitlyn was in elementary school, I think 3^rd or 4^th grade. Kait was standing up for another student who was being bullied on the playground. She was fierce and confident, even back then, and stood up for what she knew was right. It would be years until Kait and I became really close friends but I’ll always recall that first memory of her and how much it foreshadowed who she was going to be.

There are so many incredible memories I have with Kaitlyn. I’m so grateful for them. I don’t think I could pick just one to share so I’d like to share with the impact she has left with me.

Kait wasn’t just a friend. She was a role model to me and someone I really looked up to. She was a motivating person to be around. She was smart, hardworking, kind, stylish, funny. I attribute a lot of my own personal growth in high school to Kait. Through her own actions, she taught me how to be kind and helpful but also have a backbone and be confident in myself. She knew how to break me out of my shell when we were 15.

Kait and I did a lot of extra curriculars together. We liked thinking ahead to college and our careers. We did things like ROTC and DECA and made the most out of every moment. She knew how to take a mundane task and make it fun and worth our while. She was somewhat contagious in this way. She didn’t think twice about doing things that others would perceive as ‘uncool’. She was so much more mature than that. She saw the bigger picture. We worked together at Magic Fountain and then at aMano and A Lure. She was one of the only friends I had in high school who loved to work that much. Kait had goals, financial goals, and she knew what it took to get there. Kait never shied away from an obstacle or challenge. She looked it in the eyes and went after it. She was tenacious and dedicated.

Kait motivated me in so many ways and still continues to today. One way I keep Kait’s memory alive is by considering her outlook on life when making my own decisions. I’ve asked myself “What would Kait say to me?” many times over the years whether it was making a career decision after college or just getting myself out of a rut.

One thing that Kait’s passing has taught me is to take a real look at your friends, family, the people around you – the people who you are your most natural self around – and ask yourself what makes them remarkable. In what ways do you look up to them? In what ways does being around them make you a better person? We all have people like this. Friends, colleagues, etc. We can learn so much from the people we already know so much about. I’m so grateful to have had years of friendship and time with Kaitlyn. To have learned from her and to have these memories to hold onto forever.

Missing you always, Kait. Sending love to all.

Becky

I was studying abroad in Australia. One of our college friends texted me and said “look, I know you’re on the other side of the world so I need to tell you something.” That’s how I learned of Kait’s passing. I immediately called my parents and asked them to book me a flight home. I had to go home, I had to go to the funeral, I had to get there for her incredible parents and little sister. Of course they said no, because I still had three months left of the semester and had to finish. My parents told me to write the Doorhy’s a letter, and so I did. That was the hardest letter I had ever written in my life – I just didn’t know what to say, and much like Kait, I usually have a lot to say and don’t have a hard time saying it! It wasn’t great closure; however, after some time I realized I didn’t need closure because we were ready to keep Kait’s spirit alive.

The very first memory I have of Kait is her messaging me asking to be her college roommate. It was the summer going into our freshman year at Sacred Heart University. I checked out her Facebook and remember thinking, this girl is really … BLONDE. We kept messaging and found out we had a lot in common. Her birthday is June 12 and mine is June 11 (two Gemini’s). I was playing lacrosse at school and she was in the band. We both had the same major and we both had dreams of going to law school. This girl loved to SHOP, (we did a lot of that freshman).

My first day on campus, Kait had already been there for two weeks because she had band practice before the semester started. She had the room all set up. She came right outside and helped me and my parents bring in all of my stuff. Move things around and make me feel settled. She was SO welcoming. She couldn’t have been nicer. We were best friends from that moment on.

When everyone went home for Labor Day and I couldn’t because I was from PA and too far, she said “you’re coming home with me.” We hadn’t been at school for that long but she took me home and made me feel like family. Kait, her parents, her sister ALL welcomed me with open arms. I couldn’t be more thankful.

The first year at Sacred Heart wasn’t easy for me. I had a really hard time transitioning when lacrosse was taking up 95% of my time and I couldn’t do “normal” college things, but Kait was truly the reason I was able to pull through. I transferred the summer going into my Sophomore year. I always wondered how life would be different now if I had stayed at SHU with Kait.

Kait’s been in my memory with me throughout the course of my life. When I got a good score on my LSAT, I looked up and thanked her. When I got into law school, I looked up and thanked her. When I graduated law school, I looked up and thanked her. When I passed the bar, I looked up and thanked her. When I got my first legal position, well, you get the gist. My point is, I know she’s been with me every step of the way. I didn’t just do it for me, I did it for both of us. She would’ve been such an amazing attorney. Her passion and her drive were second to none.

Kait lived the motto of “work hard, play harder”. She was always studying and getting A’s, she was always practicing her instruments whenever I passed by that band room, and she always had some sort of job. When it was time to let loose, that girl could party! Between the jet skis and the boats, the house parties, the shopping, the tanning, and the Veuve – she was one of the coolest people I had ever met. She knew what she was doing before any of us figured it out.

I miss her. I love her. I hope I’m making her proud.

Kaitlyn , where to begin. My little cousin, my friend my Angel. To be honest I could sit and list endless amounts of memories from Easter Sunday photo shoots , Facebook wall videos & fun in the sun. But most recently I have had a huge life changing moment and entered a new chapter in my life I never knew my relationship with my Angel Kaitlyn would shift and be present in an incredibly new way.

On May 18th, 2021 I gave birth to Cristiano Anthony. Cristiano came 5 weeks early. On the way to the hospital we didn’t know what to expect or what was happening. I prayed on the drive, as I often do. I asked God to connect me to my angels and help guide me and keep baby boy safe. As always Kaitlyn, came through.

When Cristiano was also born he was born with a stork bite. A stork bite is discoloration of skin between the eye brows and on the back of the neck. He has both. The meaning of a stork bite is the showing that an Angel was present and has touched that baby before entering the world. To bring baby a life time of blessings. To show baby is protected by those above. For him , this was our Kaitlyn.

Cristiano also had his first visit from Kaitlyn.
Cristiano sleeps sound thru the night 12 hours. Never a break. One night he woke up at 3:30am. I heard a noise, so I looked over at the monitor and he was standing up having a full blown conversation. Laughing, cooing, Gaga-ing as baby’s do, he was 10 months at the time. 15 mins later back down and sound asleep.

I am grateful I have Kaitlyn to watch over him , to show me signs everything is going to be ok. To bring sunshine on days showing rain, to show up in my back yard on my most anxiety driven days (red cardinal) letting me know to calm my heart & soul.  In those moments, I know it’s Kaitlyn bringing me peace and a sense of relief.

Kaitlyns spirit is very much so alive and present & I will continue to LOVE how she shines through to me and through Cristiano.

Love,
Candace
Xxoo

Kaitlyn was the most beautiful baby!!

She looked like an angel in her Christening outfit with her beautiful face and rosy cheeks! I remember vividly her first birthday party at Darla and Joe’s home in Mattituck on the water.  Kaitlyn was dressed impeccably in her Polly Flinders dress and beautiful bonnet.  Her birthday cake was placed on her highchair and Kaitlyn immediately put her face in the cake!! !  Kaitlyn made everyone laugh!  This was only the beginning of the many joy-filled days in Kaitlyn’s life.

Her sense of style was evident on the very same day!

I had a white Chanel bag on a blanket and when Darla sat her down on the blanket, she made a fast crawl to the bag.  We all laughed!  Who knew later that she would have Michael Kors and Prada as her signature!!  Kaitlyn had a wonderful sense of fashion!!

Kaitlyn also had a sense of gratitude for the people in her life.
At her First Communion, Confirmation, and Sweet Sixteen party, she had a candlelight ceremony honoring those who had an influence in her life.  It was a  moving experience for all.

It was fun watching Kaitlyn marching in the band at college and coming to all her parties in Mattituck!

I loved having Kaitlyn at our home!  She seemed to adapt very well to everything that was happening, like hunting for Easter eggs, playing chess with her cousin, singing with the Karaoke machine, or just playing the songs on our jukebox.

When visiting Joe and Darla it was fun going to the restaurant where  Kaitlyn worked.  Kaitlyn amazed me with how she could juggle her school schedule, volunteerism, sorority, and sometimes working two jobs!!

With a grateful heart, I am thankful to Darla and Joe for inviting me to be a part of Kaitlyn’s life.
Great Aunt Gabrielle

For those of you who are unaware, I am Nick Savaglio, and I am Kaitlyn’s second cousin (or as the New Yorkers refer to us as “The Chicago Cousins”). As I sit here to write this, I am at a loss for words because Kaitlyn has impacted my life in so many ways and for me, it is hard to put into words how much she meant to me. Referring to Kaitlyn as my second cousin sounds silly to me because she was so much more than that, I looked up to Kaitlyn like the older sister I never had. We had shared so many experiences before her passing, but it was not until after that I came to realize how much of an impact on my life she would have.

As everyone knows, Kaitlyn passed away in August of 2014 and at the time I was 18 years old starting my freshman year of college. I was at that age where I did not fully understand how to process losing someone, I was so close to and looked up to. However, throughout the next few years a lot of my decision making came with Kaitlyn and mind and how she would approach certain situations.

There are so many memories that I can remember with Kaitlyn from ding-dong-ditching in the neighborhood to the late night black Friday shopping, but any time we were together we were always laughing and having fun, that’s what I remember the most. My favorite memory isn’t really a memory but a yearly tradition of spending each Thanksgiving together. Every year I would look forward to seeing Kaitlyn and Carly coming to Chicago for a full week and enjoying the company of one another. Now that the cousins are a little bit older and close to starting families on their own, we hope to continue the tradition as we know Kaitlyn would have wanted.

I could sit here and type for hours about all the different stories and how much Kaitlyn meant to me but there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about her. I know that she is looking over us and we will continue to make her proud.

Keep Smiling Beautiful,

Nick

I think to pick just one memory would be impossible, but that’s what made our friendship so special; there are just too many to choose from. I wrote this August 22nd 2016, two years after K passed. “Some of my favorite memories with you are just when we would drive around, no destination in mind, nothing planned. I maybe didn’t realize them then, but understand now, that God put us together for a reason. He knew that eventually he would need you more than we did, but gave us that time together – something I’m grateful for every day. When I take drives by myself now I think of you. I think of when we would race to the beach for a sunset, just to get a good picture. I miss you, I love you, we’re another year closer to being back together xoxo Kimmy”. And how thankful I am for all the time we got to spend together. For Kait’s last few years on earth, we did nearly everything together – we worked together (too much), we shopped together, we were law and order SVU-watching bums together, we partied, we laughed, we vented and cried together. Kait was the greatest friend I’ve ever had and I consider myself eternally grateful to have had the chance to experience a friendship like hers.

Loving Memories of Kaitlyn

Darla holding Kaitlyn at Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church: that is my first memory of Kaitlyn. She was about 2 ½ / 3 years old and wearing a pretty, white hat with a wide brim made of eyelet. My first thought was “what a cute, little girl” and I noticed that she was about the same age as my daughter, Christine.  Shortly after that, there was that cute, little girl and her Mom again at the Mattituck-Laurel Library for one of their wonderful programs for toddlers. The rest is history, as they say, as Kaitlyn and her family became a big part of the life of my family. Soon after, another precious little girl that we met at the library named Corinne Araneo and her family joined us. We spent a tremendous amount of time together doing all kinds of fun activities with the girls. All are very fond memories, and regardless of what the activity was, Kaitlyn was always smiling and full of spirit and boundless energy- she absolutely knew how to have fun from a very young age.

Another special memory of Kaitlyn was the morning Carly was born. Darla and Joe called me sometime in the middle of the night to come over to be with Kaitlyn so they could head to the hospital. ( Yes, of course, the plan was in place before that night-we’re talking about Darla here!) It was a very special day that we spent together, along with both my girls: breakfast, time at the park, and we probably spent some time at the library, too. And Kaitlyn was SO excited about having a baby sister. And from that day on, Kaitlyn took on the role of “big sister” in an exemplary manner.

If there were such a thing as The 5 Musketeers, it would have been Kaitlyn, Corinne, Christine, Lisa, and Carly. They were pretty inseparable doing all kinds of special things or just playing together. There were trips to the city, trick or treating, Christmas caroling, making gingerbread houses at Gingerbread University, the Christmas “Character Breakfasts” and many other special outings. And of course, we will never forget the generosity of Darla and Joe opening up their home year after year for Easter Egg Hunts and the best birthday pool parties in town! Through it all, Kaitlyn was ever present, being helpful with the younger ones, organizing games, leading the way.

Some of my most cherished memories of Kaitlyn took place when she was  a student in my  Religious Education class from Kindergarten to 9th grade. I would pick up some of the students in my green Windstar mini-van, and Kaitlyn christened the van “The Religion Bus.” It kept that name way past the time that the students finished Religious Ed, and some of the best conversations took place in “The Religion Bus.” Having Kaitlyn in class was a Godsend ( no pun intended!)  She was smart and had a keen sense of humor. She was very adept at crafts (just like her Mom), which came in handy when the students were young because she was able to lend a hand to others who weren’t as crafty.  And as the students got older and there were less crafts and more discussion, I could always count on Kaitlyn to ask insightful questions and make astute comments, keeping things lively and the others involved.

These are just a few of the loving memories of Kaitlyn that bring joy to my heart.  Her  strong presence was always felt; Bill Araneo said it perfectly at Kaitlyn’s funeral Mass when he called Kaitlyn a Force. And because of the immeasurable love and unending dedication of Darla, Joe, and Carly and Kait’s Angels, Kaitlyn’s presence continues to be a Force. Kaitlyn continues to make a difference in the lives of so many, right here in our local community. She is truly a Guardian Angel, and I feel blessed when I find a dime because I know she is paying me a sweet visit, sometimes when I need it most.

You will always be in my heart, Kaitlyn

Love, Gail Angell

Kaitlyn and I share so many amazing times together.  As a little girl, she was inquisitive, caring, and loving.  She always knew if Mom and Dad said “NO” Aunt Dore would say “YES”.  I loved that she had an infectious smile.  

If you were sad Kaitlyn made you happy.  I have so many wonderful memories of the times we shared. The Doorhys had a boat that they docked in Oakdale, and Kaitlyn use to call me and ask if she could come over, of course, I said yes and she would end up at my house to hang out and we had a blast laughing eating shooting the breeze.  Kaitlyn and I shared a passion for the NY Mets.  Every Christmas she would give me a Mets ornament.  We attended games together and ate hotdogs and cotton candy, it was always a blast.  I told her someday we will sit in one of those boxes, and our wish came true.  For my 50th birthday, we celebrated with family and friends in Suite 122 at Citi Field.  She said to me ” Aunt Dore we made it”.  I will never forget that twinkle in her eye and the fun we had.  There are so many great times, the Christmas’, the Easters, the Birthdays.  When Kaitlyn set out to do something nothing got in her way.  I love and adore Kaitlyn. She shines down on me from above and I know every time I need her she is there.

They say that children can start making explicit memories at around age two. However, most of these memories remain implicit until the age of seven. While some children report having memories as young as age two, most children do not. At 26, there is obviously more times of my life that I remember, and have explicit memories from, than there is time that I don’t. A lot of my very first memories, involve Kait and her family. KK and I grew up together all over the east coast. New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida… the list goes on and on. Our travels were for us and our relationship flourished there. While we did attend school together, from the 5^th grade on, she had her schedule and I had mine. I don’t think I would’ve changed a thing because when I look back, I think we had such a strong connection because we didn’t let anything get in our way. No drama from school, or silly outside things, just family. Our families became one and nothing is more special than family. Kaitlyn taught me so many of the things that I know, in life and after death. She was always more advanced than I was, and I would’ve been lost without that as a kid and as a teen. So, to tell me that I have to talk about one memory is hard because there are millions of small moments. I could realistically write a novel about the profound impact that Kait Doorhy had on my life. My first text message was sent to her, she taught me how to use social media, my first inappropriate word, falling asleep in front of the fire at Christmas Eve dinner after she had worked at MK all day. Collecting money filled Easter eggs in our mansion air b&b in Florida. Teaching me to snowboard with MY snowboard…which then made me realize I was a born skier. Making sure that my horrible high school nickname, Karen, stuck all the way through to my adult life. Marching next to you in my NJROTC uniform, while you waved politely as strawberry queen. A lifetime of memories that definitely ended too soon. We should’ve had college degrees, weddings, and children of our own. She will still be here for all of those things, just not in the way we would have liked or expected. I will never be able to understand fully why this happened. It is not fair, every day is easier than the one before, but it will never be okay. Losing you was the hardest thing I have ever been through. Not just for me, for everyone who knew you, but mostly for your family. Watching them in pain caused the most upset.  All I know is that our story is a true testament to “friends are the family you choose.”

I could not think of anyone more deserving of the title of sister than Kaitlyn and her sister Carly. I am an only child but because of them it never really did feel that way. That brings me the most comfort in times that are harder than others. We miss you Kait but thank you for all the memories you left with us. Including, but not limited to, teaching me how to make a spoon stick to my nose.

All of my love always.

Corinne