Obituary of Catherine Marie Carnesi

Catherine Marie was born on December 15, 1949 to Ruth and Art Knapp of Mongaup Valley.  Cathy’s early life included spirited travel, windows down, fast cars, four on the floor, keeping tires warm at the track and fish-tailing around back roads.

She welcomed her son, Craig Knapp in 1968 who would also share her love of fast cars and warm weather.

She married Skip Carnesi in 1976 and they had three daughters (in three years!). As wife and mother,  Cathy, or ‘Cat,’ reliably cooked dinners, took care of the cats, dogs, hamsters, goats, rabbits and children. She sewed most of the girls’ wardrobes from their matching outfits, jackets and personalized sweatshirts down to their tiny pretty panties!

She was the primary manager and caretaker of the Rainbow Bungalow Colony for several fun filled summers. Each spring she prepared the colony by wallpapering the bungalows, painting all the outside furniture, organizing the fruit, and ice cream truck schedule and all of the extras that kept our annual guests happy to return year after year. Cathy was an amazing swimmer and looked forward to opening the pool each summer. She enjoyed diving in and splashing around but always kept a close eye on all the children to make sure everyone stayed safe.

Cathy became an EMT, volunteered in the Ambulance Corps and worked as a school nurse at Duggan and Rutherford Elementary Schools. As a seamstress she made almost all of her own work clothes, amazing Halloween costumes, and show clothes for equestrians.

In her forties, after she and Skip divorced, she changed careers to became a Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counselor. Earning multiple certifications and two Bachelor’s Degrees from Marist College (BSW/BHS). She lived and worked in the Hudson Valley as a counselor from 2001-2016 when she retired and returned to Monticello to be closer to her grandchildren.

Retirement for Cathy was filled with puzzles, playing cards, and face painting. She loved working on crafts and projects with her grandchildren and often would show up with a bag filled with sidewalk chalk or bubbles.

Cathy gifted us as a family with many of her talents, from gardening and wallpapering to crochet and sewing; she could do it all and enjoyed teaching others. From preparing the bungalows each year, to being an adult learner and nabbing higher education degrees with honors; Cathy’s love of learning and getting things done never wavered.

We will honor and nurture what she gave to us and inspired us to be, we will miss her facial expressions, her light hearted conversation, and admiring the beauty of nature with her most. We love you Mom.