We lost our Beanie. 💞 

She was sweetness through & through. 

💗 Kathleen Marie Bernadette Fisher💗

9/20/58-4/23/25

It would seem she passed away out of the blue or should I say pink. She loved her pink hair! Like us, the 5 or 6 staff on duty on her hall were in shock & disbelief. She was only 66.

Today was “shower day”. As some of you know, she loved this day! Twice a week.  Maybe liked more than Bingo day. She just had her shower & was in bed getting a lunch tray.  Her legs were feeling weak so she opted to stay in her room. Different staff were in & out this morning chatting with her & enjoying her sweetness.  She never ate a bite. Well, we can’t blame it on the food- darn it!

It was her time. It was fast they said. A blessing. Like her sister Mary, she loved St. Joseph. Among other things, he is the patron saint of a happy death. Go St. Joseph! 💖

She was the 2nd of 7 kids that all came in a 11-year timespan. Beanie would be the first of 3 sets of Irish twins in our family. She was wedged between 2 brothers. Not many can say they’re Irish twins – twice! She was special! Us pesky younger siblings emulated her. Smart, pretty, athletic, creative, social, caring. She was ALL these things & more.  Baked with us. Taught several of us to drive. Let us tagalong on dates with her. Who does that!

She was 10 years older than the youngest sibling. The youngest remembers peeing in her own bed at one point- probably many times she admits. Beanie let her climb into her dry, cozy bed in the middle of the night. Soggy pee pee pajamas and all. WHAT an AMAZING big sister she was!

Growing up, Beanie played soccer & basketball as well as cheerleading & ballet. She could do it all! She was a feisty defender but a graceful dancer.

After high school she went to GMU to get a degree in early childhood education – perfect fit since she helped raise her siblings as the caring, able big sister. Unfortunately, she would never complete her degree. God had another plan.

Mental illness began to rear its head. Her life with schizophrenia was just beginning. While her 20’s were a whirlwind with a marriage thrown in, unknowns & ups & downs, her 30’s said “hold my beer!”

Beanie spent time on the schizophrenic roller coaster – in & out of psychosis. In & out of psych wards & mental institutions. In & out of marriage. Off & on new experimental medicines. In her lucid moments even in the worst of times – (and there were some TERRIBLE times) she would still be sweet Beanie. Our mom was truly amazing with her for SO many years.  A quiet hero.

We always said Beanie was a miracle. One hospital visit in the early 2000’s- unrelated to psychosis, she went into a coma & was intubated. All the siblings were called because she was determined brain dead.  Come & say your goodbyes they said. We all arrive bawling and then she wakes up! What?!?

In 2018 another of her 9 lives was used up. Beanie had a stroke, a seizure, a blood infection & was in sepsis. In a coma again. Somehow through the grace of God she lived. This time her body was slow to recuperate. She regained talking & eating but walking was only slowly improving. Off to a rehabilitation facility she went-right down the street from our sister Mary- her caregiver for the last 4 years. She enjoyed many great adventures- some saintly some not- with Mary as she gained some strength & was able to walk with a walker.

Fast forward to 2020- let’s all give a collective “ugh”!  Mary the caregiver extraordinaire passes away from a rare cancer drug reaction. Poor Beanie is left without her Mary and her other siblings live a couple hours away. Window visits became the norm during Covid. Slowly they let us in. Visiting became more humane & we could take her on outings.

Two years later in 2023 we are able to move Beanie closer to us in Leesburg.

For the last 4 and 1/2 years, the remaining siblings became a weak 2nd trying to replicate what 1 sibling – Mary did.

We had the honor & blessings of visiting Beanie or taking her out to eat or church. She was a joy. Expected nothing & appreciated everything & anything. Always a smile or a giggle! 🤭

Her nurses & aides have been remarkable. They all noted she felt like their family. 💕

She died on the feast of St. George who ironically is the birth name of Pope Francis – Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Jorge is the Spanish form of George! Pope Francis died 2 days prior to Beanie. He and the Vatican always celebrated his “name day” on April 23rd! All us siblings know that like Pope Francis, she went straight up. (We’ll keep praying just in case. 😉)

St. Beanie pray for us! 🙏 💗

Beanie is preceded in death by her parents Joan and Dick Fisher, her sister Mary-Carole and her brother-in-law Steve.

She is survived by five siblings. Richard “Rich” Fisher (Jen), Francis “Frank” Fisher, Joseph “Jo Jo” Fisher (Trish), Nancy “Nance” Brown, Janice “Spuddy” Lebahn (Paul).

Nieces & nephews- Jane (Mike), Jill (Tyler), Erick, Alex, Heather (Chris), JT (Blair), Chris (Nicole), Nick (Cayla), Andrew (Raeanne), Sam, Kyle, Jack, Gabriel.

Great nieces & nephews- Carolyn, Benjamin, Hank, Duke, Nash, Noah, Lydia Joan, Alex, Alihya, Finn, & Collyns

A plethora of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, prayer warriors & random people she touched with her smile.

Her dog Theo named after Kathy’s favorite childhood teddy bear- Theodore.

Funeral Arrangements

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

(the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima)

Where:

St. Anthony of Padua

10299 Millbank Road

King George, VA 22485

When:

Catholic Funeral Mass at Noon in the church.

Burial to follow the mass on the church grounds.

In keeping with her wishes she will be cremated.

Also, in keeping with Beanie’s thoughts on funerals, we will be celebrating her in a joyful manner. She believes the day you pass is your feast day! Born into eternal life! In keeping with this mantra, feel free to don splashes of color- she would TOTALLY appreciate that! Rose color anyone?????