Obituary of Kathleen Ann Binkley

"Ware-Kathleen A. Binkley, 50, of 3rd Ave. passed away January 9, 2009 at the Lahey Clinic after fighting a long illness. Born in Hartford, CT on September 18, 1958, she is the daughter of Frederic and Doris (Montville) Binkley of Wales. Kathleen attended STCC and graduated from Umass in 1980 with a degree in audiology and speech therapy. Being very adventurous, she spent a year living and working at the Texas Hill Gold Mine in the Diamond Springs, Placerville, CA, area, where she learned to shoot a gun and set dynamite. She was extremely intelligent, and loved exploring new things and continued to take college courses while in CA. Before the death of her husband, Michael E. Atkins in 1989, they relocated to Ware, MA and Kathy held many positions as a tool design engineer draft person at MA and CT aerospace companies. She made award winning pies and was an avid Trekkie, visiting many antique shops and conventions to collect and see all Star Trek memorabilia. Kathleen loved visiting Quabbin with her longtime loving friend and companion, Dave Dandurand of Chicopee and loved animals, especially her dogs. She will be greatly missed by her parents, Dave, her sister Susan Ziff and her nephew Michael and his wife Melissa Ziff, and niece Amanda Ziff, all of Montgomery, along with extended family and friends. Visitation will be held Saturday Jan. 24th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story Palmer Funeral Home with a service of remembrance beginning at 4:00 p.m. With Kathy's love for flowers, floral donations are appreciated but also please feel free to make donations in her memory to PAWS-itive Options c/o Animal Shelter Renovation, Inc, P.O. Box 1815, Westfield, MA 01086-1815 or to a charity of your choice. "