Our beloved Casey A. (Hopkins) Malanga passed away on the evening of October 18, her birthday, at the age of 43. Born in Dover, NH, she graduated from Oyster River High School in 1998, then achieved a degree in Human Services from Northeastern University in 2003 which allowed her to reach her lifelong dream of becoming an educator. She later earned her MAT from Simmons University.

Working with hundreds of students from elementary school through high school at the Boston Renaissance Charter School, Orchard Gardens, Trotter, Chittick, TechBoston Academy, and later Mildred Ave in numerous settings from a traditional classroom to that of an ESL teacher focusing on students just arriving in the United States, Casey left an impact everywhere she taught. A fierce advocate for her students, no one left her classroom without knowing how invested she was in each of them by holding them to incredibly high standards but supporting them every step of the way.

Casey’s approach to her illness was remarkably similar to how she approached everything in life. It didn’t matter how big the challenge, she confidently stared down what was in front of her while never losing her humanity. Everyone she encountered at the hospital, whether it was a volunteer, receptionist, doctor, intern, or nurse, remembers Casey, and they remember her as someone who while in the fight of her life still remembered to ask about their children, or brought them cookies during the holidays.

Casey’s been called many things by many different people, from brave, courageous, and resilient to kind, loving, and funny. However, the thing she loved being called most of all was Mom. The in-between years of dealing with cancer saw her family grow from two to four, as over a year after treatment James was adopted and three years later Gabriella (Gabby) joined the family. Of the many joys in her life there was no greater joy Casey felt than being a mother to her two wonderful, heartbroken children. While she was forced to wait for the experience, she was a natural and thrived in the role right until the very end.

Casey leaves behind her husband Brendan; her children James (10) and Gabby (6); her parents Mike and Linda Hopkins; her sister Sara and her husband Ben; Aunt Janet Christine “Chris” Wyble; In-laws Regina Franks and Joseph and Martha Malanga; nieces and nephews Ella, Hannah, and Olivia Thurecht; Jayden and Maisie Malanga; Nora Weissman; Wyatt, Jack, and Reese Rockett; Parker and Autumn Worden; and friends and family too numerous to mention. To know Casey was to love her, and rest assured the feeling was mutual. Even though she was taken from us far too soon, she filled her forty-three years with an entire lifetime’s worth of generosity, strength, kindness and love, qualities that her loving children will carry on in her absence.

There will be a celebration of life in Casey’s honor held at Steel and Rye in Milton on 11/8 at 6 pm open to all who knew and loved her.

If you are moved to do so, please consider a donation to Seasons Hospice Foundation, Donation Processing Center, 8537 Solution Center, Chicago, IL 60677.