Kate Gleason Cole

Kate Gleason Cole, a resident of Winhall, VT, passed away at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire on June 28, 2024, at the age of 58, with her husband Mike and their sons, Alex and Justin, by her side. She was the daughter of Dana Wright Gleason and Emily Ryan Gleason. She was a beloved wife, cherished mother, and dear friend to many.

Kate was born on November 22, 1965, in Newton, Massachusetts, and spent her youth in Weston, Massachusetts, where she graduated from Weston High School in 1983. Throughout her youth and entire life, Kate enjoyed all things outdoors, including hiking in the woods, exploring marshes for toads and frogs, hunting for clams on beaches, and sailing with her family on Cape Cod Bay.

In March 1985, during a ski trip in Vermont with friends, Kate met her future husband, Mike, who was captivated by her wit, intelligence, and beauty. They were engaged by September 1985 and married in August 1986.

In the years following their wedding, Kate and Mike lived in Texas and California, before settling in Massachusetts in 1989, where they began raising their family together. Their son Alex was born in 1992, and their son Justin was born in 1994. Kate was a devoted mother and wife, and she put enormous energy and love into everything for her family.

Kate had a contagious laugh and magnetic personality. She did everything with so much humor, wit, and charm that people were attracted to join her. Kate and Mike became very involved in Boy Scouting programs, and she recruited many families and youth to join them. She had a passion for flower gardening, and was very knowledgeable about the selection, placement, and care of both her outdoor as well as her indoor plants. Local garden clubs put her gardens on their tours, and neighbors hired her to design their gardens for them. All the while, Kate eagerly shared what she knew by teaching others, inspiring them to learn more and do more in their own gardens.

Kate and Mike retired in 2017 and moved to the mountains of Winhall, Vermont, where they enjoyed the wildlife, the landscape, the four seasons, and the people. At about the same time, Kate was diagnosed with an incurable progressive disease that would make it harder for her to do many things. Nonetheless, she continued living her life to the fullest of her capabilities, tenaciously fighting through as the disease diminished her physical capabilities so she could continue doing the things and sharing the time with the people she loved, both family and friends.

Visiting hours will be held on Monday, July 8, 2024, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Brewster-Shea Funeral Home, 34 Park Place, Manchester, Vermont. All family and friends are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to consider making a charitable donation in Kate’s memory to an organization or cause of your choosing that helps other people, such as the State of Vermont’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) office in Bennington, where those donations will be distributed to children and families they serve. You can contact Michele Webster at DCF’s Bennington office to find ways you can help, phone 802-442-8138 or email [email protected] .

Kate’s legacy of love, humor, grit and determination will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew her.