Obituary
Cathy Jean “CJ” (Skelton) Kitchener, 64, of Clearwater, FL peacefully passed to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven early Sunday morning, May 19, 2024, in her room at Empath Suncoast Hospice Care Center in Pinellas Park, FL after battling long-term, chronic health conditions requiring several recent admissions at Mease Countryside Hospital (Safety Harbor, FL) and home care by Hospice’s Yellow Team.
Born on August 23, 1959 at Sewickley (PA) Valley Hospital (Allegheny County, PA), Cathy (who preferred to be called CJ) was the daughter of the late Virginia Mae (Gray) Skelton and Telford Skelton, long-time residents of Woodbine Road in Hopewell Township (Beaver County, PA). In addition to her loving parents, she was preceded in death by her kindly brother-in-law Lawrence Edward “Larry” Blaney (Hopewell Township).
CJ is survived by her supportive brother Robert Telford “Bob” Skelton (Clearwater, FL); her loving sister Carolyn Ann (Skelton) Blaney (Aliquippa, PA); her cherished and challenging son Maxwell Shell Kitchener (Clearwater, FL); her exuberant niece Kelly Rene (Blaney) Dzvonick (Aspinwall, PA); her artistic, athletic and academically-talented grandniece Giana Nicole Dzvonick (Aspinwall, PA) and her adorable granddaughter Allie Mae Kitchener (Clearwater, FL) in addition to her delightful sister-in-law Sonja Louise (Hansen) Skelton (Clearwater, FL); her congenial, spiritual brother-in-law Steven Joseph Dzvonick (Aspinwall, PA) and her entrepreneurial former husband Neil John Kitchener (Clearwater, FL).
CJ was a 1977 graduate of Hopewell High School (Aliquippa, PA) where she excelled in volleyball, track and art as well as student government and class officer activities. She was an active member of the First Methodist Church of Aliquippa. CJ attended Edinboro (PA) State University where she majored in fine arts and nursing. At Edinboro, CJ met her roommate, Toni L. (Fusco) Sanders (Moseley, VA), and they became her life-long, best friends. CJ earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing from the Community College of Beaver County (Monaca, PA).
In 1983, CJ moved to Miami, FL to assist her brother Bob who was directing a successful $10,000,000 capital fundraising campaign for The Salvation Army. In Miami, she met and later married in 1985 her husband Neil Kitchener and earned an Associate’s Degree in Commercial Art and Design from the Miami International University of Art and Design.
CJ and her husband owned and operated Hemmingdigger’s Family Restaurant in Pembroke Pines, FL for a few years. Her interest in the culinary arts started as a pre-teen by watching her Woodbine Road, Hopewell Township neighbor the late Mrs. Janette Mishredri and learning her home cooking and kitchen cleaning skills while visiting with her friend Angela. At age 14, CJ gained experience in hospitality by waitressing and setting-up the salad bar at Pappan’s Family Restaurant (Aliquippa, PA). At Edinboro State, she worked in the dining hall in various roles including organizing and serving at private events. Other experiences included working as a bartender at The Little Echo (Monaca, PA) and as a server at Bobby Rubino’s at Station Square (Pittsburgh, PA). In 2023, CJ assisted Heather Ross Catering (Dunedin, FL) with food preparation for several events.
According to her family members, CJ was infamous for her preparing and serving late night (9 p.m.) Italian dinner extravaganzas. Her parents, siblings and their significant others always appreciated and enjoyed CJ’s delicious, homemade meals but frequently joked about their preference to eat around 6 p.m.
After relocating to Clearwater, FL, CJ and her husband operated Eagle Vending, Inc. for five years. And CJ demonstrated her entrepreneurial and marketing skills by launching Tasteful Expressions featuring custom-made and special up-scale gift baskets for corporate and personal clients in the Tampa Bay area.
CJ’s full-time nursing career began in 1989 at Morton Plant Hospital (Clearwater, FL) in the Oncology unit. For 30+ years, her nursing and administrative skills benefitted BayCare Home Health (Dunedin, FL headquarters); Palm Gardens of Clearwater; Sabal Palms Health and Rehabilitation Center (Largo, FL) and a few other healthcare facilities in Pinellas County, FL. Chronic health issues ended her nursing career and work life in August, 2023. From November 2023 until early May 2024, CJ lived with her brother until her health conditions required hospitalization and hospice care.
Beginning in her pre-teen years and continuing throughout her life, CJ raised, loved and provided safe, caring homes to her adopted felines and numerous stray cats. When she lived in her Dunedin townhouse for 20 years, CJ had two cats. Her brother was allergic to cat dander. So, he visited CJ when she assured him that the carpets were thoroughly vacuumed and the cats were roaming or sleeping on the second floor.
In Greater Clearwater, CJ frequently attended Northwood Presbyterian Church (Clearwater), Oldsmar Community Church (Oldsmar), Calvary Baptist Church (Clearwater) and Chapel-by-the-Sea (Clearwater Beach) where her brother was married on November 30, 1991 to Sonja Louise Hansen. CJ’s spiritual nature and interests were bolstered by reading books and listening to audio-recordings by Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen and watching televised church services by the late Dr. Charles A. Stanley and Dr. Robert H. Schuller as well as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Bobby Schuller.
As CJ requested, she was cremated. Arrangements were handled by Beacon Direct Cremation/Baldwin Funeral Services (Largo, FL). Her ashes were placed by her son Maxwell in the Gulf of Mexico as CJ desired.
On behalf of CJ, her family members extend their deepest appreciation for the extraordinary 5-star care that CJ always received from the doctors, nurses, CNAs, techs and other staff members at Mease Countryside Hospital, from the Empath Suncoast Hospice Care Center staff and from Dr. Anup N. Desai (Clearwater) who was CJ’s primary care physician for 20 years.
In CJ’s name, memorial contributions are encouraged to be made to Empath Suncoast Hospice, 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33760.
https://empathhealth.org/foundations/
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