Kay Vocelle (McCartney) died in Greenville, South Carolina, December 18th, 2014.

She was born January 31st, 1931 in Steubenville, Ohio to Stella and Thomas McCartney. She grew up in Cincinnati, OH, where she attended Shuster Martin Drama Academy, which counts Doris Day among its alumni. She was an accomplished vocalist and pianist, and performed in night clubs in and around the Cincinnati area. She moved to Vero Beach, FL in 1954 where she completed her teaching degree at Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, FL. She began teaching fourth grade at Vero Beach Elementary when she met the late Chief Judge, Buck Vocelle. They were the first couple to be married in the current St. Helen's Catholic Church in 1955. Kay transferred to Rosewood Elementary as a fourth grade teacher, retiring in 1984. After retirement, Kay pursued her new passion in collecting buttons from the 17th and 18th centuries. She served as Jr. Division Chairman of the National Button Society and published a book entitled Introduction to Button Collecting in 2002. She published her last article in the Journal of the National Button Society this past summer.

In 2001, Kay was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and after the hurricanes in 2004, she relocated to Taylors, SC where she lived the remainder of her life with her loving daughter Cindy and her husband, Mike, who Kay loved very much. Kay always enjoyed sitting on the porch with her precious dog, Tico, while watching birds feed in the backyard and the neighborhood children playing.

She was predeceased by her husband, Buck Vocelle and brother, Thomas. She is survived by her four children, Buck (Donna) Vocelle of Vero Beach, FL, Kathy (Sandy) Kelley of Tewksbury, MA , Cindy (Mike) Baldwin of Taylors, SC, Charles (Lori) Vocelle of Defuniak Springs, FL; 10 grandchildren, Daniel, Cecile, Heather, Katie, Cyndiann, Stella, Alexandra, Ashley, Jacob, and Luke; seven great-grand children all who she dearly loved; as well as her beloved sister, Rita Hopkins of Escanaba, MI. Kay will be fondly remembered by the multitude of students in her fourth grade classes from 1955-1984, and all of the friends she made throughout the years. Kay will be affectionately remembered by her family and friends as "The Button Lady".

A visitation will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2014 at the Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, 1950 20th St., Vero Beach, FL from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, December 29th at 10:00 AM at St. Helen Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Crestlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Kay to support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via www.dana-farber.org/gift.

Online condolences may be shared at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.