Kathy Carlozzi

Kathleen (Kathy) Carlozzi, 70, of Hilton Head Island passed away on June 7, 2020 after a long and courageous battle with ALS. Kathy is survived by her husband, Ken, four loving children, their spouses and 8 beautiful grandchildren. She is also survived by 3 sisters and a brother.

Kathy was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up on Long Island. She met her future husband, Ken, in 1972 and they were married in 1974. They lived in East Berlin, CT for 6 years and moved back to Long Island in 1980. To escape a long work commute, Ken & Kathy moved to northern Virginia in 1988. While in VA, Kathy worked in Human Resources for USAA and L3 Technologies. After many years of vacationing there, she retired to Hilton Head Island in 2007.

On Hilton Head, Kathy met many wonderful friends while walking her chocolate lab, Bailey. She was a member of the Indigo Run Women’s Club and enjoyed weekly mahjong, bunko and other club activities. She especially enjoyed the daily “dog party” with our great neighbors on Wheeler Ln.

In September, 2017, Kathy was diagnosed with ALS. While a complete shock to her and the family, her reaction was typical of the courageous battle she would fight for the next 2 yrs and 8 months. She enrolled in multiple research studies at the Mayo Clinic (FL) and Johns Hopkins; gave blood and tissue samples on request; and, in 2019, participated in a clinical trial, at the Mayo, for a new ALS therapy drug. This involved 7 lumbar punctures (spinal taps) and over 20 visits that year alone for follow up testing and observation. The motto for ALS patients is “Never Give Up”; Kathy never gave up.

Kathy’s final, and lasting contribution to the ALS cause was the post-mortem donation of herself to the Brain Bank at the Mayo Clinic, where she continues the fight to find a cure for this monstrous disease.