Kathleen Crowell (Markunas) of Milton, MA passed away the morning of December 21, 2021 having changed the world for the better for 41 years. Katie lived life to the fullest, even after being diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer during her second pregnancy. Her strength was not only physical but truly came from within. She was a wonderful, loving and active Mom, Wife and Milton community member. To her husband, she was heart-stoppingly gorgeous and the best thing that ever happened to him. To her children, she was Momma; always there to care and reassure. To those that knew her, she was kind, caring, outgoing, funny, energetic and inspirational. To her friends, she was a badass. As an athlete and a runner, she was strong, tenacious and tough as nails. She ran and completed over thirty marathons and several ultra-marathons, including a 100k race in the mountains of Vermont. For over a decade, each year in May she’d celebrate her birthday by running her age in miles. When cancer prevented her from working full time, she devoted her efforts to being a mom, a volunteer, and a fundraiser. She raised tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research in the 6 1/2 years she lived with metastatic breast cancer. She was an activist who supported Dana Farber research funds, the Dr. Susan Love Foundation and the Joe Andruzzi foundation. She also championed Globe Santa, Christmas in the City and the Karen Wellington Foundation. Katie volunteered with her children’s PTO for several years, ultimately serving as President. She was an advocate for MBC awareness and one of her countless lasting impacts was that she helped create a support group at Dana Farber for other young women living with this disease.

Katie’s two daughters were the center of her existence. Each entered the world in a dramatic fashion: Lizzy was born during an October blizzard in 2011 and Grace was born during a break in chemotherapy in 2015. Even through all, Katie was a calm and steady influence who brought normalcy to her children’s lives and documented every moment with thousands of photographs.

By looking at her you would never know that she was in active cancer treatment for over six years. Katie was determined to keep joy in her life even when things were hard. She embraced everyone she met with a smile and kept them laughing with her wry humor. “Grace and Grit” was her motto and she not only lived it, she thrived. She made the world around her a better place and she continues to inspire so many; her memory will live on as a blessing for everyone that knew her.

Katie leaves her husband and best friend Mike, her daughters Lizzy and Grace, her parents, George and Marie of Avon, her brother Chris of Boston, her brother David of Mansfield, his wife Becky and their children Josephine and Myles, and friends and extended family far too numerous to mention. She loved you all.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Monday December 27th 3-7 PM in the Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, EAST MILTON SQUARE.

In lieu of flowers, the family would ask you to support “Basic Research/Discover Science” at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, or the Joe Andruzzi Foundation.