Friends and Community Mourn Four-Year-Old Kevin McNulty-September 5, 1992

Filling St. Catherine’s Church to capacity, hundreds of family members, friends, and local residents gathered on Friday for an emotional funeral mass to mourn four-year-old Kevin McNulty, who passed away Tuesday following a courageous yearlong battle with leukemia.

The 4-year-old’s fight against the disease galvanized the entire community, sparking massive bone marrow donor drives that tested thousands of volunteers in hopes of finding a match and contributing invaluable data to the national donor registry. Diagnosed with leukemia the previous October, Kevin endured months of chemotherapy, radiation, and two bone marrow transplants before passing away from respiratory failure at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Community Rallying and Memorial Tributes

The solemn procession to St. Catherine’s was escorted by 10 police motorcycles and 20 cruisers from area communities, while local police officers stood in salute as six cousins and friends carried the small white coffin—filled with special toys and family photographs—into the sanctuary. Every pew in the 750-seat church was filled.

During the service, Cheryl Burke, a 31-year-old local hairdresser who raised $500 for Kevin’s cause, read a moving original poem at the family’s request, noting, “We’ll miss you badly Kevin. People came from far and near. They came to help you Kevin. You made a difference here.” Family friend Kathy Doneghey also read a tribute titled “Kevin’s Star,” honoring the boy’s blond hair and sparkling eyes.

Presiding over the mass, the Rev. Arthur Brown praised the profound impact of the young boy’s life: “He has accomplished more in his four years than we will by the time we are 90. He’s taught the rest of us how to live, to love one another. People who never heard of Kevin McNulty a year ago were begging to help.”

Following the service, mourners gathered at Highland Cemetery for the burial, surrounded by dozens of floral bouquets. Kevin is survived by his parents, Patty and Andy McNulty, and his seven-year-old brother, Andy Jr.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger