Katherine F. Fagan

LONG BRANCH - In Loving Memory of Katherine Brenner Fissell Fagan September 28th, 1940 - July 3rd, 2023 Katherine Brenner Fissell Fagan, a vibrant and lifelong resident of New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family and loved ones. She was born on September 28th, 1940, in Newark, NJ to the late Lillian D. Fissell and Henry G. Fissell. She is survived by her brothers, Thomas McGrath Fissell and Michael George Fissell. She spent her formative years in South Orange, where she met her husband Robert J. Fagan at 13 years old and they went on a date to the movies. Married for 58 years, they built a big life on the Jersey Shore in Shrewsbury, NJ amongst a cavalry of lifelong friends, family, siblings, in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Katherine, or “Kathie”, was a dynamic woman, mother, and wife who led with a quick-witted Irish humor, was always smiling, and exuded warmth and kindness to everyone she met. She had an unwavering love for her family and cherished her three daughters Lynne Walrod (Fagan), Regina Creen (Fagan), and Elizabeth Marie Fagan, as well as her grandchildren Melanie Creen, Isabel Green, and Nico Fissell Federici. She extended that love to her many nieces and nephews whom she adored and loved dearly. She had a fierce group of close friends that she would do anything for on a moment’s notice, some of whom we know she is with now. She always loved a good party, and was often the life of it. The memories of wonderful gatherings and laughter are long and lasting.

Kathie’s family and the ocean were her first loves, intertwining in her heart and shaping the very essence of her life. As a member of Monmouth Beach Bath & Tennis Club for 53 years, there was nothing better than a book in a beach chair at the cabana laughing with friends and family near and dear to her heart. She traveled the country and the world to the Caribbean, the West Coast, New England, a memorable cruise to Alaska with her sister, Paris, Italy, and several trips to Ireland but no place on Earth was better than the

Jersey Shore. The ocean gave her strength, inspiration, and hope, always.

Education, commitment, and ambition were embedded in Kathie’s personality. She graduated from Marylawn of the Oranges and attended St. Elizabeth’s, teaching math at Columbia High School in South Orange after graduation. She taught Algebra and Calculus at St. John Vianney for many years and was a substitute teacher at Red Bank Regional High School. She later transitioned to an impressive career in real estate, and took tremendous pride in the endless beauty of the homes and property in the area. She found immense joy in witnessing her family and extended family thrive in education and celebrated their achievements.

She had a great appreciation for sports, and knew that sports had some of the greatest lessons about triumph and adversity and were also a conduit to higher education. With a tennis court in her backyard, she loved summer doubles with friends and encouraged her children to become great at the game. She spent decades at the courts or on the sidelines watching countless of her daughters’ tennis, field hockey, and lacrosse matches up and down the East Coast while they attended Georgetown University, Boston College, and Princeton University. The crisp fall air meant the US Open was here, which she attended many times or watched from the comforts of home, and there was to be no interruption during the match.

Trips to New York City were always a wonderful treat shopping with friends or family, going to a show, strolling the pretty streets, walking through Central Park, and seeing the vastness of the city at night.

Katherine Brenner Fissell Fagan will be deeply missed but forever remembered for her boundless love, laughter, fierce strength, and unwavering dedication and commitment to her family. Her legacy will continue to inspire and serve as a reminder of the importance of embracing life’s journey with a lot of laughter and a genuine love for others.

May her gentle soul find eternal peace, and may her memory forever be a blessing to those who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.

There will be a Memorial Mass for Katherine F. Fagan at 10:30am on Wednesday, July 12th at St. Michael’s Church in Long Branch, NJ.