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Kaitlyn McCready, 36, of Smithtown and Luis Rivera, 41, of Hauppauge, were both killed in a wreck Thursday, Dec. 12, while returning to New York, according to her obituary. Additional details about the crash were not immediately available.
McCready owned Kate’s Hair of the Dog, a dog grooming business in Northport that also offered mobile grooming services. Her clients and friends described her as a beacon of warmth and compassion who made every pet and owner feel special.
“She went above and beyond to make sure my dog Milo was well cared for, and it left a huge impression on me,” one client wrote on her online memorial. “He absolutely loved being groomed by Kate and she always greeted us with a huge smile. Heartbroken to hear the news.”
Rivera, meanwhile, was a father of four who loved ones remembered for his easygoing nature and selflessness.
“He was always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need—’no’ simply wasn’t in his vocabulary,” reads his obituary.
A longtime tractor-trailer driver, he had a deep love for motorcycles and a passion for working on cars and trucks. That enthusiasm for big rigs began as a child, when he would eagerly motion to tractor-trailer drivers to blow their horns.
“This childhood joy turned into a lifelong career as a tractor-trailer driver, where he paid it forward by honking his horn for kids, bringing smiles to their faces just as he once experienced,” his memorial said.
Family and friends took to social media to express their devastation at the couple’s sudden loss.
“My heart is broken into a million pieces. These two were the most selfless people I've ever known,” Amy Starr wrote on Facebook. “They had so many plans and it makes me so angry how fast they were taken from this world. I will miss them until my last breath.”
Funeral services for McCready were held Saturday, Dec. 21, at St. Hugh of Lincoln R.C. Church in Huntington Station, while Rivera was memorialized Monday, Dec. 23, in Port Jefferson Station.
Relatives said in lieu of flowers donations can be made in McCready’s memory to Long Island Bulldog Rescue.
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