Katherine “Kay” P. Bulgaris, 88, wife of the late Michael A. Bulgaris, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2026, at the Kaplan House in Danvers.
Born January 30,1938, Kay was the daughter of the late Peter & Anastasia (Synodinos) Brown of Manchester, MA. She grew up in her cherished hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea, graduated from Story High School in 1956, and took several classes at the University of Massachusetts and Endicott Jr. College.
Kay will be remembered as a “hip” and “modern” woman for her time. Being the youngest of 10 children, she had an adventurous spirit which led her to live in California in the 1960’s, working as a secretary for General Electric. When she returned home in 1970, she joined Remis Industries as a bookkeeper until retirement in 2002. She continued to work parttime as a bookkeeper for her family business.
Kay participated in cribbage and bowling leagues; she was the secretary of the 1976 Manchester’s Bicentennial Committee and the chairwoman for the Bicentennial Ball; and she volunteered her time on the Manchester Summershow Committee.
In 1980, she married Mike, a fellow parishioner at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Ipswich, and together they built a beautiful life centered on love, family, and community. In 2004, Kay was chosen by her parish to receive the Boston Metropolis Award for her “strong moral character” which “enabled her to give unselfishly to her church and community.” Throughout the years, she served on the parish council; she sang in her church choir; and she chaired and assisted with several committees in her church. Most of all, she was best known for running the loukoumades booth at the annual Greek festival.
Kay found joy in the simple things in life: eating ice cream, reading a good book, going to the theatre, listening to music, bowling, playing cards and cribbage, showing a card trick, or hearing a funny joke. She loved to laugh, and what a contagious laugh she had. With her husband Mike, they would vacation at their cabin in Maine during the summer months. She enjoyed going to lunch with her friends from the Class of ’55 & ‘56. In recent years, she looked forward to playing Bingo, Pokeno, and Quarters at Putnam Farm, the assisted living facility where she lived. She also enjoyed having a Bikini Martini, watching a good movie, or a visit to Putnam Pantry for an ice cream sundae.
Kay is survived by her Godchild, Katina Karafotias of Middleton, MA, her husband, Nicholas, and children, Charles and Alexandra; her step-daughter, Carol Lynne Barto of Springfield, VA, her husband, Eric, and grandchildren, Connor and Elizabeth; her step-son, George Bulgaris of Byfield, MA; her step-daughter Ginger Kenyon of Maine, and her husband Doug; and her sister-in-law Pauline (Apostolos) Brown of Manchester, MA, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.
Kay was predeceased by her siblings Anthony “Tony” Brown and his wife Doris (Silva) Brown; Constance “Connie” Brown; Elizabeth “Betty” (Brown) Vasilakopoulos and her husband Spiro; Thomas "Spike" Brown and his wife Victoria (Papandreou) Brown; Paul Brown and his wife, Sophie (Anasoulis) Brown; George Brown and his wife Mary (Vontzalides) Brown; Jennie Brown; Theodore “Ted” Brown and his wife, Maryjane (McCoo) Brown; and Speros Brown.
Kay leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion to family and friends. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
A funeral service will be held Friday, October 16th, at 11 a.m., at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 8 Lafayette Road, Ipswich, MA. A visiting hour will be held at the church before the funeral service from 10 to 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Burial will immediately follow at Rosedale Cemetery Extension, Manchester-by-the-Sea. In remembrance of Kay's life, any charitable donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital via www.stjude.org or in Kay’s name to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of Ipswich, P.O. Box 6, Ipswich, MA 01938.
