Katalin Stinson

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Katalin (Kathy) Stinson of Vineyard Haven died peacefully at her Vineyard Haven home on Thursday evening, April 17, 2014. She was 65. Kathy was the wife of Larry J. Gomez.

She woke up happy every day and was blessed to live on Martha’s Vineyard. She enjoyed her family life with her husband and friends and especially loved the Beatles. She attended their last concert in 1966 in San Francisco with her lifelong high school best friend Rita Franchi of San Francisco.

Kathy was a graduate of the University of California Berkeley with a major in English. She taught 2nd grade for 25 years in the Los Altos and Cupertino districts of the California school system. Kathy and her husband bought their first Vineyard home in 1986. After summering for eight years Kathy and Larry purchased the Greenwood House bed and breakfast in 1994 from the Buder family. She enjoyed inn keeping and meeting guests who eventually became lifelong friends.

Her vacations were spent in Israel, South Africa, Western Europe, and Budapest, Hungary. She spent many years running road races with 10 marathons under her belt and a PR of 3:30. She was able to run 10Ks at a 7-minute-per-mile pace, a great achievement.

Upon moving to the Vineyard, Kathy became the children’s librarian in Vineyard Haven for 10 years where she started many of the current children’s programs. She also worked with VNA as a part-time home health aide for 5 years.

Kathy was born in Kiskunhalas, Hungary, and immigrated, at the age of 9, to the U.S. shortly after the 1956 Hungarian revolution with her parents, Imre and Helen Szanto, and brothers Ervin and Andras. They crossed the border into the then country of Yugoslavia. There they waited for one year for their visas to enter the United States via New York and San Francisco, settling in San Leandro, California, and finally in Union City, California.

She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Larry Gomez, her 97-year-old mother Helen, brothers Ervin and Andras; nephews John Szanto and Tom Szanto, Andras Szanto Jr., Christopher Szanto, step-children Bob Gomez and Laurie Watson and eight grand-nephews, nieces and two grandchildren, all living in California.

Her funeral service will be private and donations may be made in her memory to MV Cancer Support Group, PO Box 2214 or Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, PO Box 1748, both in Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.

Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.