In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Nana, Katherine Dalziel Vaughn

July 30, 1938 – May 1, 2025

With heavy hearts and deep love, we announce the passing of Katherine Vaughn, affectionately known as Nana, who departed this world peacefully on May 1, 2025, surrounded by family, warmth, and love. She was 86 years old.

Born in Elizabeth New Jersey on July 30, 1938, Katherine was the heartbeat of our family and warmed hearts for generations . She was a devoted daughter, wife, sister, nana and mother to ten children — each of whom she raised with unwavering strength, endless patience, and a fierce, tender love. Katherine's life was a living example of grace, strength, and the type of kindness that touches generations.

To her children, she was a steady light — mending scraped knees, broken hearts, and every challenge life could bring. She raised her family on laughter, home-cooked meals, and the belief that no matter how hard life got, love would always be enough. Her home was never quiet, but it was always full — of stories, songs (specifically Irish music or her sweet rendition of "I love you a bushel and a peck" and many more that she loved to sing), and filled with enough love to heal any heart.

As a grandmother, great-grandmother and great great grandmother, Nana's arms were never empty, and her lap was always a place of comfort and rocking. She loved her "crew" and her "babies" and there will always be a hole in our hearts that she once filled. Her stories stitched the past into the hearts of us all and her wisdom will forever guide our lives.  Katherine married the love of her life Robert in 1953 at Sts. Peter and Paul (Elizabeth, NJ) and shared a love you could only hope to find one day.  Together, they raised 10 beautiful children in Elizabeth before settling in South Plainfield, spending her last years in South Carolina with her loving granddaughter Amy, husband Dan and great granddaughter's Ava and Aubree.  She loved each of her children equally and when asked to pick a favorite she would respond "I could never" and continue by naming her favorite characteristics about each of them.  She taught us the meaning of hard work and resilience and that there was nothing a warm hug couldn't fix.  She was the biggest cheerleader to everyone she loved, her door always open, not only to her own children but to anyone who knocked.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Margaret Klein and Archibald Dalziel, her siblings, Roberta Malanga, Alan Dalziel and Margaret Kolesar, her beloved husband, Robert Vaughn, and her four beautiful children, sons Scott, Eddie and Rubbie and daughter Kelly, as well as her grandson Conor Robinson.  She is survived by her brother William Klein (Monroe Twp.), six children, Deborah Ritchey (Billy) South Plainfield, Kevin Vaughn (Cindy) Waretown, Kristi Vaughn (Shannon) Grove City, Ohio, Kimberly Powell (Billy) West Milford, Glenn Vaughn (Linda) Scotch Plains and Dana Konz (Allen) Coventry, New York; her son-in-law, Garey Chalkley; 21 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild — each carrying a piece of her spirit forever.

Her presence will be forever felt — in the stories we tell, the values we live by, and the boundless love she gave so freely.

In keeping with her wishes, Nana will be cremated without services.

Rest gently, sweet Nana.  We hope your reunion with Pop and your babies was a magical one.  You are loved beyond words,and missed beyond measure.

We love you a bushel and a peck.