Kathleen V. Cardamone

Kathleen "Fran" Cardamone died suddenly on Wednesday, November 8 ^th . She was 72.

Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late John J. and Katherine (Hennessy) Jordan, the beloved wife of Ralph L. Cardamone, heroic mom of Kate Cardamone Shouse (Ben) and Elizabeth Sarnacki (Michael), and devoted "Gran Fran" of Nico, Chloe, Tyler, and Elliott. She is also survived by her brother, John J. Jordan, Jr. (late Adrienne), her sister-in-law, Christine Cardamone (Bill Dauksys), five nieces and nephews, and a multitude of cousins and friends.

A selfless, unsung hero, she had boundless energy, and devoted herself completely to helping others, both professionally and personally. She touched many lives through her career as an educator, teaching in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. She also worked as a personnel director, first for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools and then for North Penn School District. A proud graduate of St. Hubert's High School in Philadelphia, she went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees as well as a doctorate in education, all while working full time and caring for her family.

Fran loved many people and she went above and beyond for them. She thought nothing of waking before dawn and driving hours so that she could stand in the cold rain to cheer one of her daughters in a running race or sitting on chilly stadium seats to applaud the other daughter's marching band performances. Among her talents was her ability to make everyone feel welcome and put them at ease. She was an unassuming person who opened her doors to many; her guests never had an empty glass or plate.

Fran embraced life and had numerous passions, including: champagne toasts; Philadelphia sports teams; bicycling; the beach; Lipton black tea; golf; movies (with or without subtitles); a giant bowl of mussels; Ireland; finding things on sale; Irish and American literature; museums; and the walking tours offered at every monument and National Park she visited. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate her Funeral Mass, 11 AM, Monday, November 13, 2017 at St. Jude Church, 321 West Butler Ave., Chalfont, PA where her viewing will begin at 10 AM. Interment will follow at Whitemarsh Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Catholic Charities USA (P.O Box 17066 Baltimore, MD 21297-1066 or https://catholiccharitiesusa.org/dedicate-a-gift ) or the American Heart Association at http://honor.americanheart.org/goto/francardamone. Or just pour yourself a bubbly beverage in a fancy glass and think of Fran. She would love that.