On July 19, 2024, the world unexpectedly lost one of its brightest lights when our beloved sister, daughter and friend, Ms. Katy Joe Tymon, age 39, passed away.
Born in Burlington, Vt., and raised in Cambridge, Vt., by her loving parents, Charles Tymon and Jayne Albano, she lived her life with a brilliance that was infectious to all from day one, and she will be forever missed but always remembered and loved.
On August 18, 1984, at 10:08 p.m., Katy Joe Tymon came into this world, along with a lifelong best friend and forever soul sister, her identical twin, Kara Jayne Tymon. She grew up in Cambridge, Vt., with her mom, dad, twin sister and brother, Charlie Tymon. As a child — and we all should have known this trait would stick in adulthood — there was no stopping Katy Tymon from achieving or doing anything. Starting from day one, she was a little spitfire with a huge heart that burned bright with passion and love every day of her life. Katy had an immense love of books and literature and learning, as well as the heart of an athlete, as a young child and into adulthood. If there was a sport out there, Katy was going to learn it and be amazing at it in no time flat. Katy also loved music and played the piano as a child, then took up the saxophone. She attended Cambridge Elementary School, where she was most likely found with Kara and their third amigo and lifelong friend, Brittany Hickman; the three were inseparable and developed a friendship that is stronger than any and will always be cherished and which death cannot break.
Katy attended Bellows Free Academy Fairfax Middle and High School and was part of the National Honor Society, student council, varsity soccer, varsity softball and varsity basketball, and she played in the high school band. In high school, she worked at an oil company as a bookkeeper and administrative assistant for a very dear friend, Smitty, in Essex. She loved her independence and working at a place filled with friends and kind people. After graduating from high school, Katy attended Saint Michael’s College in Colchester Vt., where she studied political science with a minor in law. While there, she developed some amazing friendships and loved every minute of it. After finishing college, Katy worked at the Stoweflake Resort for more than 15 years. This is where she met Jenny, who was her best friend for years on end, and with whom she created a lifelong family with Jenny, Dave, Eliot and Fiona.
Starting as a superhuman waitress at Charlie B’s Restaurant, she added bartender to her repertoire and ultimately became both the bar and restaurant manager. She ended her career working as the assistant food and beverage director at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vt., where she loved getting to know and working with her coworkers and setting up and hosting events — especially weddings — while ensuring everyone’s special day was absolutely perfect. However, this is also when she found the most amazing woman and person to work for, Janet Martinez, at Burt’s Pub. She loved Janet, and she truly loved every minute she spent working there and thought of it as a second home. She enjoyed every minute at that bar, both eating and serving Janet’s delicious food.
Katy was kind to anyone and everyone always and gave her all in everything in life. Katy was one of the most kind, loving, selfless and giving people anyone would have been lucky to meet. She touched the lives of people from all over the world, either through her work or through friendships she developed over the past 39 years. She could brighten your day just by giving you her amazing smile when she walked into a room. She put everyone else’s joy and needs above hers and would literally give you the shirt off her back, even if it meant she had none. She was the type of person to always take a second to get to truly know and listen to all the people who came to sit at her bar. Whether they were a friend or a stranger who needed an ear, she could make anyone feel special and at ease at the same time, and she did it effortlessly and without even knowing it. She took pride in her work with a passion that is rarely seen in anyone, and she truly loved what she did every day.
Katy was from a different era, with an unspoken air of sophistication, charm, class and grace, all while being able to be goofy; loving; competitive at any sport, card or board game; and the most loving, wholesome, down-to-earth person one could ever meet. Katy had an amazing passion and love for animals and cherished every moment she had with her husky, Hobbes, and her two cats, Perrin and Packer, whom she loved dearly. She would dog sit for anyone and any type of dog, just to make sure the dogs would be OK and that the owners wouldn’t have to worry about their little darlings. She was full of life and tried to live life to the fullest and spread that joy to everyone she met, even if it was just for a second. She cherished going to the ocean with her boyfriend, James, every year and playing golf with him. She loved spending time with her friends and family and enjoying good meals, especially sushi, with the ones she loved and who loved her. One of her favorite yearly getaways was with her beloved sister Kara, Brittany and Sam. She loved playing with Sam, Britt, Jenn and Bronwyn’s children and watching them grow up.
She had a heart of gold that she shared with the world every day, expecting and wanting nothing in return. We will all forever cherish those bits of stardust that she has left upon our lives forever. Katy was an adventurous, free-spirited people person who loved nothing more than spending time with friends or sharing a friendly conversation at the bar with friends or a stranger who hadn’t become her friend yet. If you needed a helping hand, she was always there with both of hers ready, willing and able to help in any way she could. Katy was a brilliant, blazing star that burned out too soon, but her stardust will always be around the ones who loved her and who she loved.
Katy will be forever cherished and remembered by her loving mother and father, Jayne Albano and Charles Tymon; her younger brother, Charlie Tymon; her twin sister, Kara Tymon; her brother-in-law, Rick; her aunts, uncles and cousins; her many loving friends; and her beloved boyfriend, James.
There will be a private funeral at Topnotch Resort for the family. A public celebration of life will be held at the Stoweflake Resort on Monday, August 12, 4 to 7 p.m. Please wear orange or turquoise, if you can, in honor of Katy.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2024.
My heart is broken that such a person can be taken FAR BEFORE HER TIME! God’s grace and mercy and pure love now is enriched by such a pure soul. I tell you now, Heaven has a great soul in place to help light the way for others bound. Let us all remember the beautiful person inside and out, with the love and kindness for others she has left behind!