Kathleen M. Bianchi

With the saddest of hearts to share with family and friends, Kathleen Marie Sweeney Bianchi passed away on March 15, 2023 while in hospice care at Cape Canaveral Hospital, in Florida at age 76 after a short battle with cancer.   

Kathy was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on February 1st, 1947, to Terrance W. and Helen Devine Sweeney. She grew up in East Longmeadow, MA, in a loving family with her two brothers. Kathy graduated from East Longmeadow High in 1964. In 1983, she moved to Cocoa Beach, FL, with her family, where she lived the remainder of her life.  

Kathy graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1999 with a BA degree in Legal Studies.

She worked for Premier and Carnival Cruise for 36 years, where she made many friends and lasting memories.  She loved nothing more than working for the cruise industry at Port Canaveral Lines. When the cruise industry stopped during the covid pandemic, and she was forced to stop working, all she would talk about was wanting to get back to work and how much she missed her friends there.  

Kathy is survived by her son Michael of Rockledge, FL, and Mark of Tampa with wife Angela and granddaughter Avah; and daughter Carrie of Tampa with her friend David Pike. She also leaves her two brothers Terry Sweeney and his wife Patrice of Springfield, a niece Holly Martello and her husband Jesse, grandnephew Jesse Terrance, grandnieces Katelyn and Lauren of Somers, CT; Bernie Sweeney and his wife Sandra of Longmeadow and nephew Zack Sweeney and his wife Lauren of Somers, NY; a grandniece Maddy Sweeney, and grandnephew Jack Sweeney

Kathy will rest beside her Mother and Father at Greenlawn Cemetery in East Longmeadow. Family and friends are invited to gather at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01119, on Friday March 24, 2023 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.  A service will follow at 12: 00 noon. Afterwards there will be a procession to Greenlawn Cemetery for her burial and graveside service.  
Kathy was a kind and thoughtful soul and will be missed and remembered by many lives she touched. She was a lifelong lover of animals, especially cats. Kathy would feed feral cats in her neighborhood and those living at Port Canaveral docks.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Human Society of North Central Florida. 4205 NW 6th St Gainesville, FL 32609 or other Animal charities.
Our family would also like to thank the hospice staff at Cape Canaveral Hospital for their constant attentive care of Kathy. For more information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.forastiere.com