Katie Elizabeth Malatino

Katie Elizabeth (Cross) Malatino, age 47 of Delmar, NY, passed away on April 17, 2025 at St Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY after 1.5 years with Stage 4 cancer. Her loving parents were by her side.

Katie was born in Albany to Keith and Paulette Cross and grew up primarily in Delmar, New York. She was a 1995 graduate of Bethlehem Central High School and graduated from American University in 1999 with a degree in Communications. She lived in southern California for 20 years. As a videographer and editor, she won several industry awards as a freelancer and then used her talents to advance the mission of Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a service dog organization. As a lifelong animal lover, her several years at CCI brought her much gratification.

Katie moved back to Delmar in 2021 and joined RPI as a senior communications specialist, where she was respected by her colleagues for her dedication and diligence. Katie faced every challenge with incredible fortitude and had a singular focus on being an excellent mother to her daughters Sam and Rosie. Her life was centred around her girls who have inherited all her best characteristics and were her pride and joy.

Katie is survived by her daughters, Samantha and Rosalie Malatino; her parents, Keith and Paulette Cross; her sister and brother-in-law, Kerry and Solo Mara; nieces Rokowati and Litea; nephews Keith and Josua; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. She also leaves a service dog-in-training Claude, which CCI gave her the gift of naming. She is pre-deceased by her paternal grandparents Ralph and Florence Cross and her maternal grandparents Claude and Ruth Dunham. She is also pre-deceased by her two precious dogs, Calpine and Beans, both of which were from CCI.

In keeping with Katie’s wishes, there will be a private family service at Applebee Funeral Home in Delmar, followed by burial at Bethlehem Cemetery. Her parents would like to thank her many dear friends and relatives who supported Katie and them during her illness.

Donations in Katie’s memory can made to Canine Companions at https://canine.org/donate or to Mohawk-Hudson Humane Society at https:// mohawkhumane.org/index.php/tributes.