Catherine M. (Hibbard) Kean

It is with grateful hearts and deep sadness that we announce the passing of Catherine (Hibbard) Kean, who left this world peacefully on April 25, 2025, at the age of 88. Born on March 23, 1938, in Boston, Massachusetts, Catherine lived a life that was full in every sense of the word — full of hard work, full of generosity, and above all, full of love for the people she held closest to her heart.

To many she was Catherine. But to those who truly knew her — and to know her was to love her — she was simply “Tootsie.” That name alone is enough to bring a smile to the face of everyone who was fortunate enough to be a part of her world.

Catherine was a Boston girl through and through. She grew up as one of nine children, and the bonds she formed with her brothers and sisters never weakened — not with time, not with distance, and not with the changes that life brings. She stayed in touch with each of them nearly every single day for her entire 88 years, a testament to the love and loyalty that defined her.

She is survived by her siblings: Jean Twombly, Peggy Tempesta, Tommy Hibbard and Linda Twomsley and her husband Colin Twomsley.

She was preceded in death by her siblings: Mary Palermo, Charlie (brother) Hibbard, Johnny Hibbard and Jimmy Hibbard.

In 1975, Catherine made her home in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where she would spend the greater part of her life. She came not to start over, but to continue — to continue raising her family, building her community, and pouring herself into the people and places around her.

Catherine was a hard worker in every sense. She was not someone who sat still easily, and those who knew her well will remember her always moving, always doing, always finding a way to be useful. Her years working at Target in Stoughton were a testament to that spirit — she showed up, she gave her best, and she cared about the people around her.

But it was her generosity that left perhaps the deepest impression on those who knew her. Catherine gave freely — not because she had an abundance to spare, but because giving was simply part of who she was. She would give her last dollar to someone in need without a second thought. That kind of open-handed generosity is not something you learn from a book. It comes from the heart, and Catherine's heart was extraordinarily wide.

At the center of everything Catherine did and everything she was stood her family. They were her greatest joy, her deepest purpose, and her proudest legacy.

She was the beloved wife of her late husband, Paul Kean Sr.

She is survived by her children: Kathy Puliti and husband Ned Sr., Paul Kean and his wife Caryn.

She was preceded in death by her children: George Brennan, James Brennan Jr., Joseph Brennan, survived by his wife Donna.

She is also survived by her grandchildren: George Brennan Jr., Karen Brennan, Mindy Brennan, Jessie Brennan, James Brennan, Charlene Puliti, James Puliti, Nedo Puliti Jr., Carly Kean, and Paul Kean III.

She was preceded in death by her granddaughter: Jaime Brennan

Catherine is also survived by ten beloved great grandchildren.

Catherine Kean lived 88 full and meaningful years. Her Catholic faith was the quiet foundation beneath all of it — a faith that sustained her, guided her, and gave her the grace to give so freely to others.

She did not leave behind a complicated legacy. She left behind something far more lasting — a family that knew without question they were loved, brothers and sisters who heard her voice nearly every day of their lives, and a community of people who were better for having known her.

Tootsie is gone from our sight, but the warmth she brought into every room, every phone call, and every life she touched does not simply disappear. It lives on in the people she loved and the love she so faithfully poured out.

Rest well, Tootsie. You gave everything you had, and it was more than enough.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church, 122 Canton St., Stoughton on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Stoughton. In lieu of flowers, donations in Catherine‘s memory may be made to the Bridgewater Vineyard Church, 13 Cross St., East Bridgewater, MA 02333 or www.bridgewatervineyard.church/giving.