CAMDEN — Sunday morning, July 31, 2022, Katherine Ruth Tranzillo (Katie), danced her last song. She passed peacefully with friends and caregivers at the Sussman House following years of bravely fighting ovarian cancer.

Katie leaves behind a legacy of dance students who she had the pleasure of instructing over the years. A lover of all dance genres since a young girl, she enjoyed teaching lindy hop and west coast swing the most. Always an enthusiastic professional, her students appreciated her patience and ability to break the musicality into beats, measures, and phrases and then work on the precise techniques that served them well as leaders or followers on the dance floor.

With a master’s degree in speech pathology from Ithaca College and being a teacher at heart, Katie enjoyed a career helping children with speech development, most recently working for Child Development Services for the State of Maine. A lover of gardening, the outdoors, camping, and teaching, she made a fast impression with a beautiful bright smile and endearing blue eyes. Friends and family will always remember her quick wit, smart retorts and banter in conversation, and her excited welcomes from across the dance hall as she greeted new arrivals.

Katie was born on April 7, 1959, in Port Chester, New York to Dominic and Nina Tranzillo. She is survived by her siblings, sister Liz Tranzillo, sister Jackie Tranzillo and her husband Armando Tersigni, sister Jessica Tranzillo Smith, brother Lou Tranzillo and his wife Cathy, and brother Tim Tranzillo. She also has numerous nieces and nephews.

Katie was active with Turning the Tide Ovarian Cancer Survivor Retreats and memorial gifts in Katie’s memory may be made to Turning the Tide Ovarian Cancer Retreats, Inc., c/o M. Mastrangelo, 4 East Commons Dr., Hadley, MA 01035. Please note that your donation is in memory of Katie Tranzillo.

A private burial service is planned for family and close friends. A dance celebration of Katie’s life is currently in the planning stages to be held this fall.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.