Kathleen Elaine Clifford-LaSpina of Palatine, Illinois, passed away peacefully surrounded byfamily on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026, at the age of 81.Born on January 3, 1945, in Chicago to Mario and Elai

Kathleen Elaine Clifford-LaSpina of Palatine, Illinois, passed away peacefully surrounded byfamily on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026, at the age of 81.Born on January 3, 1945, in Chicago to Mario and Elaine Lencioni, Kathy graduated fromBowen High School in 1962. She went on to work as an administrative assistant, Avonrepresentative, and real estate agent.Kathy married James “Jim” Clifford after they met at a Fourth of July dance in 1966 mergingfamilies from the Italian South Side and the Irish West Side neighborhoods. Together theymoved to Palatine, where they raised three children. Though they divorced for a period of time,they remarried in 1986 before later separating again. In 2004, Kathy married Dr. Phil LaSpina,whom she met while ministering to his mother, a homebound parishioner at St. Thomas ofVillanova. They remained together until Phil’s passing in 2018.Kathy volunteered for many years as a minister of care for homebound and hospitalizedparishioners. She modeled selflessness in the way she cared for and befriended the familiesshe encountered. Kathy felt deeply compelled to help, love, and welcome people into her lifeand even under her own roof. She formed lasting friendships everywhere she went; in theneighborhood, at restaurants and casinos, in the hair salon, at the bank and grocery store, atwork, and at church.The seeds of loving kindness that Kathy planted throughout her life grew into a forest of supportthat surrounded her during the final years of her life as she faced dementia. Her sons cared forher every step of the way in the comfort of her home and beyond, including one final trip to LasVegas to see Barry Manilow, one of her favorite performers, in concert.Kathy is survived by her sister, Janet (Steve) Ostrowski; her children, Michael Clifford, Patricia(Dave) Fuglestad, James Clifford Jr., Philip LaSpina Jr., Karen (Jason) Carmichael, Beth(Brandt) Richter, and Megan Caudill; her grandchildren, Jordan (Rhayna) Lantaya, DanielFuglestad, Kate Fuglestad, and Slade LaSpina; her great-grandchild, Avery; and many belovedcousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard (Lori)Lencioni, and Kelly Nash.In the words of one of her favorite Barry Manilow songs:“This one’s for you wherever you areTo say that nothing’s been the sameSince we’ve been apartThis one’s for all the love we once knew.”In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if you would consider making a donation tojourneystheroadhome.org , a local homelessness shelter that Kathy supported.A memorial visitation will be held on Sunday, June 14th from 10am until 12pm at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home 185 E. Northwest Hwy. Palatine, IL 60067. Info 847-359-8020