Kathleen Jane (Morse) Kiley, 84, of Holliston, passed away peacefully on August 2, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
“Kathy” was born on April 9, 1942, in Waltham and raised in Newton. After graduating from Newton North High School, she attended Bridgewater State College, majoring in education. Teaching first grade in Waltham was a joy for her, as she learned she had a gift of positively impacting many lives. After her two children were born, she launched herself into being incredibly involved with the Sherborn community, including volunteering at St. Theresa’s Church, Pine Hill School in Sherborn, and leading Camp Fire Girls for many years. Always the artist, Kathy loved oil painting, was an accomplished artist like her mother, and she passed on those artistic traits to her daughter, Karen.
She married the love of her life, John William Kiley, in 1993, and they created a bond rarely seen. They grew this love through constant car trips to Maine and Florida, spending hours gardening and making their house immaculate on the inside and outside. Kathy had an incredible green thumb and loved all kinds of plants and seeing them grow. She furthered this passion by volunteering with Holliston in Bloom. After her husband’s death, she devoted herself to her family and enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. Leading a simple life, Kathy loved taking trips to Lowes, Market Basket, and “Wally World” (Walmart), where she would buy endless amounts of plants and somehow find a place to plant them.
Daughter of the late Ronald and Florence Morse and predeceased by her brother, Ronald Morse, and sister, Judy (Morse) McNeil, she leaves behind her two children: Karen (Gulla) Aragao and her husband, Sergio, of Bellingham, MA, and her son, Michael Gulla, and his wife, Kara, of Medway, MA. Her grandchildren, Alexie Gauthier-Fournier and her husband, Cole, of North Bay, Ontario, Tristan Gauthier, of Kingston, Ontario, and Liv Gauthier of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as well as Keegan Gulla of Jupiter, FL, and Alanna and Landon Gulla of Medway, MA. She was incredibly happy to welcome her first great-grandchild, Elsie Gauthier-Fournier, in 2024.
Kathy will be remembered by all for her quick wit, sharp tongue, and tenacious spirit. Over the past few years, she endured many medical challenges and continued to remain fiercely independent to remain in her home that she loved with her beloved animals.
A memorial funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, August 12th at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Church in Franklin. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston. www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com
