#KATHYSTRONG

Carolina & James (CJ) Wine Story and label

Carolina and James are Kathy and Marshall’s two incredible children. In July of 2024, they lost their mom to a rare and devastating combination of cancers (lymphoma and histiocytosis). Rather than letting tragedy define them, Carolina and James have carried forward with courage and determination, always supported by their mom’s strength.

In her Honor, we have created this wine dedicated to Kathy and to the unwavering strength of #KathyStrong! A percentage of all proceeds from CJ Wines will be donated to cancer research. Kathy loved enjoying wine with family and friends, and many of Kathy and Marshall’s most treasured memories were created in California Wine Country.

In fact, I’ll never forget our first Sonoma vacation in 2006. I had just started working for Wine Enthusiast after leaving a career in finance. Stepping into the wine world professionally felt like being handed a key to a long-imagined dream. I’d planned a few days of tastings and was giddy just thinking about it. Having only ever seen all these famous winery names on labels, simply driving past their signs on the first day felt unreal.

St. Francis, the producer of some of my favorite Red wines, wasn’t on our list that day, but we happened to drive past their vineyard. “Let’s check it out before we go to the hotel,” I said. Kathy agreed, with one stipulation: “Can we just enjoy a tasting and not make this about work?” I was happy to oblige, although part of the fun was meeting all the wine-industry folks and nerding out over their wines.

We sat at the bar, and the hostess asked if we were doing a tasting. “Yes,” I said, “and I’m curious, do you offer trade discounts? I work at Wine Enthusiast,” showing her my business card. Kathy gave me a snarky look. “Thank you so much for coming!” the hostess said. “Instead of staying at the bar, why don’t you enjoy a reserve tasting out on the veranda? And if you’d like, you could stay for our chef’s wine-and-food pairing as well.”

It was an easy yes. We made our way to the veranda, which offered a stunning view of the vineyard. We had never been in an environment like this before, and our jaws hit the floor. We basked in the sun and sipped on their otherworldly Pagani Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel. No longer salty about me bringing up work, she drew me close and whispered in my ear, “Do you have enough of those business cards for the entire trip?” I smiled, nodded, and kissed her. We were both so happy in that moment.

One of these days, I’ll visit St. Francis again. And I know Kathy will be waiting for me out on the veranda in spirit, holding a glass, saying how she can’t believe we’re here right now and how beautiful everything still is.

Kathy’s Obituary 7/3/2024

Kathleen (Kathy) Martha Tilden left this world at the young age of 47 after a hard-fought battle with an extremely rare combination of cancers. Kathy was loved by all. She was a shining light of joy and inspiration, and the embodiment of strength to all who knew her. And she was funny. So so funny.

Born on February 11, 1977 in Jackson Heights, NY to Laszlo and Martha Nemeth, Kathy attended Our Lady of Fatima elementary school and graduated from Bryant High School. The friendships she formed in Jackson Heights lasted throughout her life.  

Kathy was born at the Physician’s Hospital. The building was later turned into a school, so perhaps it was predestined that she went into the education field and worked as a Speech and Language Pathologist for the NYC Department of Education for almost 25 years. 

Kathy met the love of her life, Marshall, in NYC in 2003 while she was working on her graduate degree. They were married on February 16, 2008, and two years later they welcomed their first child, James. Their daughter Carolina was born two years after that, and their beautiful family was complete.

Kathy was a loving and devoted mother to James and Carolina, whom she loved more than anything in the world. She was a dedicated baseball and softball mom, and rarely missed an opportunity to watch her children’s games. She volunteered in many of their activities. Even at the end of her life, through her pain, her number one priority was showing up for her children’s events.

Kathy was also known for being an athlete. She had a passion for running and fitness, competing in over 20 half marathons and the NYC Marathon in 2016. Her passion for running inspired her to help organize the local Mount Kisco 5K with her running crew, the “Bad Mother Runners.” She was also a true animal lover and was rarely seen without a foster dog, as she and her family were heavily involved in the dog rescue community.

Kathy’s greatest joy was spending time with family, be it sleepovers with her nieces and nephews, whom she adored, or holiday get-togethers. Kathy enjoyed hosting holidays and having a “full house.” 

Kathy was a selfless and giving person. She put others before herself. She embodied strength and determination, and inspired everyone around her. Kathy’s strength, compassion and sense of humor will be remembered by everyone who knew her. 

The rare combination of her two forms of cancer made Kathy joke that she was “one in a million.” In truth, she was more than that! She was the kind of person that comes along once in a lifetime, and she will live on in the memories of the people who were fortunate enough to have had her in their lives.

Kathy is survived by her loving husband of 16 years, Marshall; her children James and Carolina; her parents Laszlo and Martha; her sisters Maria and Judy; her brothers-in law George and Alex; her father-in-law and mother-in-law Marshall and Josette; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Craig and Alexa; and her many nieces and nephews: Lauren, George, Nate, Lucas, Ava, Kirsten, Craig, and Jesse.