Kathleen Schooley, age 91, of New Castle, PA, passed away the evening of Oct. 26, 2026, at UPMC Passavant-Cranberry.

Born Jan. 9, 1935, in New Castle, PA, she was the daughter of the late John A. and Thelma B. (Cameron) Essinger.

On Aug. 15, 1952, She married her beloved husband, of 73 years, Howard L. Schooley. Mr. Schooley preceded her in death on May 3, 2026.

Kathleen was a 1952 graduate of New Castle High School. She was a homemaker who took great pride in caring for her home and family throughout the years. Kathleen was a former member of Rose Ave. school PTA, and Mickey’s Bowling League. She loved playing card games, crossword puzzles, and sudoku. As an avid life-long fan, you could find Kathleen cheering on her cherished New Castle Red Hurricane sports teams. She was a life member of Second U.P. Church and most recently attended Savannah United Methodist Church.

Survivors include 4 sons, Gary M. (Betsy) Schooley, of New Castle, PA, Mark C. (Cynthia) Schooley, Wexford, PA; Greg D. (Renee) Schooley of Pittsburgh, PA, and Brian K. (Jennifer) Schooley of Prattville, AL; 3 brothers, Joseph (Connie) Essinger of Long Beach, MS, Thomas (Barbara) Essinger of Hampton, GA, Dennis Essinger of New Castle, PA; 10 grandchildren, Jason, Damon, Brent, Megan, Aaron, Kelsey, Brooke, Adam, Grace, & Anna; 8 great-grandchildren, and several loving nieces and nephews.

Along with her parents and husband, Kathleen was preceded in death by 2 brothers, John, and Frederick Essinger, 2 sisters, Suzanne Hill, and Linda Cook, and 1 sister-in-law, Theresa Essinger.

Visitation will be held on Wed. Nov. 4th, from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the R. Cunningham Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 2429 Wilmington Road, New Castle.

A funeral service will take place immediately following visitation at 5:00 PM with Kathleen’s grandson, Pastor Adam Schooley, of Victory Family Church, officiating.

Burial will be alongside her husband at Mt. Hermon Cemetery.

Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.cunningham.com.