Kara M. Grillo

Our hearts were broken on Saturday, September 5, 2015 when Kara's angels came to carry her home, at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, after an illness of one day. Kara Melissa Grillo, 36, of Windham, CT. was born on September 29, 1978, in Nashua, New Hampshire, the only child of Robert and Rebecca (Crosby) Grillo. Instead of saints, her birthday celebrates three angels; Michael the warrior, Gabriel the messenger, and Raphael the healer. Kara graduated from Windham High School in 2000, attended an Easter Seals program for 12 years, and recently began attending a day program at Baroco in South Windham. In 1982, at age 3, Kara was treated for a brain tumor, and loved to tell people she "fooled all the doctors." In 2005, she was treated for a tumor in her heart. She fought hard for 36 years to stay with us, and despite all her problems, she had a fabulous sense of humor and sunny outlook on life. We tried our best to give her many adventures. She got to shake Huey Lewis' hand, saw Niagara Falls and wild mustangs out West, traveled into caves, drove a Duck Boat in Boston, attended Next Step cancer survivor weekends, enjoyed the Big E every year, went to her uncle Steve's annual Halloween party, and knew the love of everyone she met. Kara was also known by many nicknames, such as Karamello, Munchkin, Freddy, KaraWara, Karamollasses, Budowski Buggerinski, Sweet Pea, and The Tough Cookie. Her favorite colors were black and yellow. She loved NASCAR's number 88, Junior Earnhardt, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Harry Potter, the Beatles, especially John Lennon, watching Zorro, listening to her Dad read to her, looking forward to Halloween and fun events with her family and friends. In 1988, Kara attended the first year at Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, and was named "The Ridiculous Queen of the Forest", and went each year until 1997. She also went to the Hole in the Woods camp in New York for three years. She loved going back for alumni events, singing on stage with her Mom, decorating for the camp's Christmas parties, and knowing the love of her Camp family. In 2011, she was proud to present the camp with an electric, wheelchair-accessible golf cart, named "Kara's Kart." Kara leaves to mourn, her parents, Robert and Rebecca Grillo, her aunt Peggy Nagy, uncles Dick Grillo and Bill Grillo and his wife Carol, uncle Alan Crosby and his wife Rose, uncle Steve Crosby, aunt Joyce Theller Crosby, uncle Jeff Crosby, Nana Thelma Crosby, and many cousins, second cousins, and friends. She was predeceased by her grandparents, William and Florence Grillo, uncle David Grillo, grandfather Vernon Crosby, aunt Buff Crosby, and several friends from Camp. She made us all better people by having our little sweetheart in our lives. There will be a void that nothing can ever fill, until we meet again in Heaven. The light of our lives is shining somewhere new. Kara's family will receive friends on Thursday, September, 10, 2015 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., Willimantic, CT. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 2:00 PM, at St. Joseph Church, 99 Jackson St., Willimantic, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, 555 Long Wharf Dr., New Haven, CT 06511 or Next Step, Suite 1B, 99 Bishop Allen Dr., Cambridge, MA, 02139. Please sign the online memorial at www.potterfuneralhome.com