Mary Kathleen Holmes Chacona

Mary Kathleen "Kay" Holmes Chacona, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at the age of 89. She was born on June 1, 1928, in Pittsburgh to Howard and Catherine Nicholson Holmes.

Kay was preceded in death by Coogo, her husband of 64 years; her beloved grandson, Christopher George Batchelor; her parents; and brothers, Robert and James Holmes.

Kay graduated from Academy High School and after a brief career with the telephone company, married Lycurgus George "Coogo" Chacona in 1948. She will always be remembered for her fabulous dinner parties, beautiful gardens, midnight champagne dinners, infectious laugh and heartfelt gifts. She loved entertaining and creating beautiful family traditions. Kay enjoyed witty conversations, good food and laughter and spent many happy evenings enjoying all of them with a close circle of friends for the past 60 years. She spent years painting and honing her craft. Her love of flowers was seen in her paintings and led to a late in life decision to open a floral gallery in Atlanta, GA. Kay shared her many creative talents to help raise funds for a multitude of organizations over the years, including in Erie; The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, the Jaycees Women's Auxiliary, and later in life, she donated paintings to the Fairview School Adopt an Artist program, where her grandsons attended school. Kay's creativity showed no boundaries, her family never knew what wild idea she would come up with next and were rarely disappointed. She had a huge heart and genuinely cared for all those dear to her.

Kay was a devoted wife, whose loving care helped Coogo live to the age of 97. She was very proud of her three daughters and encouraged them to be well-educated, accomplished and independent women. Her grandchildren were the center of her life and she reveled in all of their accomplishments and empathized with their defeats. She was the happiest when she and Coogo could spend time with their whole family: Candace and husband Richard Gesser and their daughters, Amelia and Chelsey of Mount Pocono, Hollis and husband John and their daughter, Tessa of Austin, and Anne "Tammy" and husband Mike Batchelor and their sons, Christopher and Jacob of Erie. Kay leaves behind her loving family, her sister, Shirley Holmes Silverman of Arlington, VA; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. The family wants to thank our extended family members, many wonderful friends and the unbelievable caring staffs of Great Lakes Hospice and Pleasant Ridge Manor, who made her final months so comfortable.

Per Kay's wishes, a graveside service will be held for Kay and Coogo at the time of their interment together, later this spring. Arrangements are being handled by the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., 2607 Buffalo Rd. Memorials may be made to the Christopher Batchelor Scholarship Fund, c/o The Erie Community Foundation, 459 West 6th Street, Erie, PA 16507 or to the charity of one's choice.