HAVERHILL — Katherine A. (Bressler) Johnson, 52, of 5 Victor St. died Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at Tufts Medical Center in Boston after a lifelong battle against heart disease.She leaves her husband of 22 years, Kenneth P. Johnson, the editorial page editor of The Eagle-Tribune, and her mother, Barbara P. Howard of Haverhill. She also leaves two brothers, Edmund W. Bressler and his wife, Tammy, of Eliot, Maine, and Dr. Martin S. Bressler and his wife, Dr. Linda Bressler, of Houston, Texas. She was predeceased by her sister, Pamela Schroth and her beloved stepfather, the Rev. Irving E. Howard. She also leaves an uncle, Brenton E. Martlin of Virginia Beach, Va., and several nieces and nephews. She also leaves her close friend Maryellen Madaio of Amesbury.Kate was born in Framingham, the youngest child of Luckey Wilson Bressler and Barbara P. (Martlin) Bressler, and was raised in Oxford in Worcester County. Her father died when she was young and when her mother later remarried, the family moved to nearby Dudley where she graduated from Shepherd Hill Regional High School in 1979. She then attended Assumption College and the University of Maine at Orono, where she studied English and history.Kate was employed for several years as a quality control technician for companies in the plastics and high-tech industries, including Vicor Corp. of Andover.Kate loved cats and never lived in a home that did not have at least one feline resident. Her most recent companions were Clancy and Cupcake, both rescued by local shelters.She was an avid reader and particularly fond of both history and historical novels. She loved travel and had visited several Civil War battlefields with her husband. An avid Red Sox fan, Kate loved to visit Fenway Park and made a few trips to Baltimore’s Camden Yards park when the Sox were in town. The crab cakes were an added bonus. Kate treasured experiences over possessions and loved to take road trips to visit new places and dine out. She enjoyed both trying new restaurants and returning to old favorites. She loved fresh air and sunshine, the mountains and the sea. She enjoyed camping in Vermont, sitting around the campfire and waiting to hear the owls at night.Kate was a remarkable woman, with a keen intelligence, a quick wit and the ability to turn a sharp phrase that could cut a debate opponent to ribbons. She battled her illness, cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder that progressively weakens heart function, with great bravery but she did not let the disease define her. She lived her life on her own terms, tackling the challenges the illness threw at her swiftly and decisively.Calling hours are Monday from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main St., Haverhill. A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday at 10:00 AM at Trinity Episcopal Church, 26 White St., Haverhill. Flowers may be sent, or a donation made to the Salem Animal Rescue League, 4 SARL Drive, Salem, N.H., 03079. Please visit Comeau Funeral Home on Facebook, or www.comeaufuneral.com
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