Kathleen H. DeVore of Southold died on Oct. 28, 2025, at home. She was 80 years old.
Kathy was born at Orange Memorial Hospital in Chatham, New Jersey, the only child of James J. Hamilton and Elizabeth G. Hamilton. She graduated from Chatham High School and earned her bachelor’s in fine arts from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. Following college, she lived in Ithaca and San Antonio, Texas, before moving back to New Jersey. Kathy resided in Brookside, New Jersey, where she raised her daughter until 1991, then moved to Chester, New Jersey, after marrying Henry Stephen “Steve” DeVore. In 2015, Steve and Kathy moved to Southold. Kathy worked as an interior decorator and later at the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey, designing exhibits and working in the gift shop, and also at the Jewelers Gallery in Mendham, New Jersey. She enjoyed the theater, dancing, tennis, and being by the water. Her family said she was an incredibly devoted and loving daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother.
She is survived by her husband, Steve; daughter, Amy Johnson (Chris); sons Jeffrey (Amber), Benjamin (Tricia), and Adam (Kelsey); and eight grandchildren.
Kathy’s family has chosen to honor and celebrate her life privately. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold is serving the family.
