Katherine Nirider

Katherine Louise Nirider, also and forever known by her childhood name of Weezie, passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 27, 2025 at her residence in Equinox Terrace, Manchester Center, VT where she had recently moved from Oak Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts in April of this year to be closer to her daughter Diedre and her husband Tim.

Recently diagnosed with a serious illness, Weezie made the brave choice to end her days in the good care of Equinox Terrace and Vermont VNA hospice. Up to the absolute end of her Life she had all her wits, humor, grace and loving ways about her. She knew she had made a difference, she loved and was deeply loved.

Weezie was born to Edward and Helen (Sanders) Warneford in her grandmother's home in Cincinnati Ohio on Halloween 1933. Her children, grandchildren and wide circle of friends have always considered her the "Queen of Halloween".

Born during the depression, Weezie was raised by a group of very loving adults as her grandmother opened her home to not only Weezie's parents but a favorite Auntie and Uncle as well. As the only chick in the nest Weezie was a much beloved child.

After Pearl Harbor, Weezie's Dad Ed, joined the Navy and Weezie and her mother Helen traveled with him to varied postings in the United States in his role as a radio operator. Once peace was declared , they returned to Cincinnati, Ohio where Weezie attended schools graduating from Western Hills High School and going on to the University of Cincinnati where she met her future husband, John Nirider, who was attending there on the GI bill, and who was to forever change her life and she his!

John and Weezie were truly made for each other and married in May of 1954, their mutual love of nature, learning, the arts, travel and social justice would enrich their marriage for 54 years. Every home they ever lived in was filled with friends, music, mostly show tunes and folk music (!), laughter, prayer and compromise. Their first daughter Lainie (Elaine) was born in 1955, Nina in 1957 and Dee (Diedre) completed the family in 1961.

Lainie and Nina were born in Cincinnati but soon after Nina's birth, John was offered a work opportunity in Massachusetts and the family packed up and moved to Salem, near John's parents who lived in Beverly. Dee was born in Salem and many happy years were spent in that area.

In 1963 John and Louise bought a lovely home in Ipswich on Turkey Shore Road right on the river. It was a great choice with lots of good neighbors and children and the girls could walk to school and play in the nearby woods. The family quickly became involved in Scouts, joined the local Methodist Church and contributed to the town in a wide variety of ways including Summer theater. Weezie was able to be a "stay at home" mom for many years but an opportunity to get involved with the East Boston Social Center and direct their girls camp, in Westford Mass, presented itself through a Turkey Shore neighbor and Weezie, with John's full support, took it.

This led to several summers of Camp and a connection with East Boston that sent Weezie back to college to get her degree in early childhood education. For a period of time she worked in social work, in the late 70's and early 80's, but she found her passion when she made the decision to open, in their home on Turkey Shore Road, Auntie Weezie's Family Day Care. For 17 years, until her retirement in 1999, Weezie nurtured, taught and provided a loving, creative and supportive "family" oriented day care experience to dozens of children including two of her own grandchildren. Among her graduates are several children with advanced degrees, prestigious careers and 2 or 3 PHD's.

After Weezie's retirement, John and she moved to a beautiful condo in a lovely Victorian in Haverhill. They joined a Methodist church there, Good Shepherd, and contributed to their new community and church family in their signature fashion. In addition they participated in a mission trip to Nicaragua which was very meaningful for both of them. John continued to work, as a custodian at the Doyon School in Ipswich, and they kept their Ipswich roots and connections strong. They had put their names on the waitlist for a home at Memorial Hall prior to John's untimely passing in 2008 after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

Weezie remained in Haverhill till July of 2011 when she happily moved back to Ipswich and joined the Oak Hill community. She loved being a part of Oak Hill. Made many lasting supportive relationships there and was able to nurture her long standing Ipswich friendships too. As she grew older it became her choice to live closer to one of her three daughters and she chose a great assisted living in Vermont closest to Dee. Although she only lived there for a few months, she touched a lot of people and in her infectious way made a number of friends with residents and staff alike.

Weezie is survived by her three daughters and their husbands, Lainie and Dino (Donald) Brown of Vero Beach, Florida, Nina and Florencio Cruz of Gibraltar, Pennsylvania, and Dee and Tim Kress of Bondville, Vermont. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Don Brown and his wife Erin Brown, Alejandro (Alex) Cruz and his partner Rachel Bessmer, Gregorio (Greg) Cruz and his wife Colleen (Hunter) Cruz, Durin J. Brown and his partner Amanda Calderone and Lauren Kress and her partner Andi Collier. A singular joy in Weezie's life was that she also has two great grandchildren, whom she knew well and got to watch grow, Madison (Maddie) Brown and Harper Brown.

Her passing has hit her family and friends hard as she was truly a one and only. But we are comforted by her faithful Christian witness and confident she is reunited with her beloved husband John. As is her wish, we will host a celebration of her beautiful Life in Ipswich in the spring of 2026.

If you would like to do something in her memory, do something for the people you love, someone less fortunate, or and especially so, do something for a child.

She dedicated most of her life to helping and working with children.

A quote Weezie loved, and lived by, was " A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." ( Forest E. Witcraft teacher and scholar.)