Caitlin Margret Kurylo, age 35 years, passed away December 15, 2018, at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. She had been battling a rare and aggressive form of Melanoma.
Never giving up her fight against the cancer that took her life day by day, she could’ve complained and said, “Why me?” but she didn’t. She kept her chin up, and put-up with every treatment, every needle, every pill, and whatever was necessary to beat her illness.
Born on January 26, 1983 at Hunterdon Medical Center, Raritan Township, NJ, Caitlin was the middle child of Robert Joseph Kurylo, Sr. and Barbara Tufo Kurylo.
Raised in Ringoes, NJ, she was a 2001 graduate of Hunterdon Central Regional High School and her love for animals led her to continue her studies in Zoology at Miami University, Oxford, OH.
From there, Caitlin joined the Peace Corps and volunteered for 2.5 years in Romania, helping to establish the first Raptor rehabilitation center in Eastern Europe.
Upon return to the states, she earned a Masters in International Relations at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Since then she has continued to live in Arlington, VA and most recently worked as a victim’s advocate for the Superior Court of Washington, D.C.
Caitlin was very loved and will be missed so much. She enjoyed spending time with her family at their home in NJ. Her wonderful, large, and diverse group of friends from around the world were never far from her thoughts and actions either. She was known by all to be a fantastic story-teller, excellent cook, lover of animals, and spontaneous adventurer. Her travels covered at least 25 countries spanning 5 of the 7 continents.
Though her physical presence is gone from this earth, the light she put forth will never be darkened. As someone who accomplished everything she set her mind to, as someone who found humor in all aspects of the experience we know as, “living,” and as someone who loved with a heart bigger than anyone could imagine, death is not an unstoppable force that took Caitlin; nothing can take Caitlin as long as she lives on in the loving words and acts of kindness put forth by all those who knew her. That is her lasting legacy.
Surviving are her parents, Barbara and Robert J. Kurylo, Sr.; a sister, Jessica Kurylo; a brother, Robert J. Kurylo, Jr; many aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family; and many dear friends.
Caitlin will lie in repose on Friday, December 21, 2018 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ, where family and friends are invited to help celebrate her life and enduring legacy.
Life celebration services with eulogies by family and close friends will begin at 7:00 p.m. to which all are invited.
Funeral services officiated by Rev. Michael Atzert will take place on Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral home, preceded by a gathering beginning at 9:30 a.m. As with the life celebration service, all are welcomed and encouraged to help celebrate Caitlin’s life.
Committal prayers followed by cremation at the Chapel of Ewing Crematory, Ewing Township, NJ will be private with the immediate family.
Please visit Caitlin’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com where one can light a memorial candle and leave a message of condolence and words of comfort, as well as share stories and photographs of her life.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation (www.melanoma.org), The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org), or to the newly created “Caitlin Margaret Kurylo ’11 Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.” The purpose of the Fund is to provide scholarship support for undergraduate and graduate students, pursuing any degree within the Schar School of Policy and Government, who will be participating in the study abroad program with the Schar School. Created in the hopes that others may have an opportunity to enjoy traveling as much as she did! Memorial donations may be made by check to the “George Mason University Foundation” with “Caitlin Fund” in the memo section and mailed to Schar School, 3351 Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1, Arlington, VA 22201 or online at https://advancement.gmu.edu/kurylo-memorial.
Caitlin’s entire family is grateful for all contributions, as well as the tremendous support of family and friends during this time. Your love is continuing to make Caitlin smile.
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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned and operated “Life Celebration Home”