Mrs. Kathleen Ann Carlino Foley-Frey

Kathleen Ann Carlino Foley-Frey, 77, who divided her time between her homes in Islip, New York and Foley, Alabama, passed away on March 12th as a result of complications related to routine surgery. Her sudden passing has shocked and devasted her entire community of loved ones. Kathy was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest child of Frank and Pasqualina (“Pearl”) Carlino of Queens Village, New York. She graduated from Adelphi University, earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees on academic scholarships (while also working full time to support her young family during those years). Kathy married her long-time partner, Arthur (Art) Frey, in October 2013. During their 25-year “engagement,” they often joked that each was just making sure they “got it right” before jumping into marriage. They were together – and happily in love - for over 35 years. In addition to being a loving, caring, and attentive wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Kathy had a successful professional career, working for Newsday, a Long Island, NY newspaper, for over 25 years. She retired from Newsday as the vice president of sales, leaving her career but not the dear friends she made during her tenure there. She spent her “retirement” years traveling the country with Art (sometimes in their RV) and visiting family and the vast community of friends she made wherever she went. She enjoyed boating, fishing, and most of all, staying up all night at the casinos gambling (she was known as “Diamond Kath” at Harrah’s and was particularly good at video poker) and then spending the afternoons sitting by the pool, making new friends. But it wasn’t all fun and games in “retirement” because true to Kathy’s endless positive energy, she and Art built a vacation rental business on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, which kept them both busy – and happily working together. Above all else, Kathy cherished her family. And they knew it. Each one felt special because that’s how Kathy treated them -- with focused energy, endless love, and genuine kindness -- each one knew how loved they were. She was blessed with a large and growing blended family, including two more great-grandchildren born during the pandemic. She considered her children and stepchildren to be all part of her immediate family, loving and caring for them all with her full heart – and never, ever making her “step-family” or extended family feeling less special. Kathy leaves behind too many loved ones to name here, including her beloved cousins, all of whom are facing a future without the laughter and joy that such a vivacious woman brought into every room she entered. As for her immediate family, she is sadly survived by Art; her brother and sister, Robert Carlino and Denise Carlino; five children, William R. Foley (Jenifer Foley), Scott E. Foley (Diane Foley), Donald Foley, Evan Frey (Ran Frey), and Kim Corbo (Joseph Corbo); sixteen grandchildren, Caitlin Hoge (Luke Hoge), William Foley, Jr., Ryan Mesches (Stacey Mesches), Jacob Mesches (Claire Mesches), Max and Alex Foley, Julia, Danielle and Zoe Wender, Kyle Foley (Nicole Foley), Kirstin Anderson (Scott Anderson), Shannon and Ryan Schielke, Jacob Frey, and Isabella and Lucy Corbo; and five great-grandchildren, Hagan Foley, Kerry Anderson, Ronan and Ayla Mesches, and Luke Hoge, Jr. Kathy was preceded in death by her daughter and son-in law, Christy and Craig Shielke and daughter-in-law, Kerry Foley. She also leaves behind the saddest little Shih Tzu, Smokey, who will miss Kathy as much as the humans. Kathy adored Smokey – Art often complained that she really loved Smokey more than him. Details about a memorial service will be posted as soon as the family has finalized them. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kathy’s honor to the Guidedog Foundation (https://www.guidedog.org) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org). https://cecerefamilyfunerals.com/book-of-memories/4562665/Carlino-Foley-Frey-Kathleen/index.php?fbclid=IwAR3TWGTaLR39t8R4Ou2NQvDJ6odbpwNQezYaCOg_XNyXE-Gd9eX_e1FK_Bk

Mrs. Kathleen Ann Carlino Foley-Frey

October 8, 1943 - March 12, 2021