Desiree Caitlin Hirschy

Desiree Caitlin Wissman Hirschy was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, friend, athlete, coach, volunteer, teacher, and leader. She was joyous, kind, loving, funny, brilliant, and outrageous. She was the life of the party. She brought people together. She made each person she knew feel special.

Desiree was born in 1985 to her parents, George and Donna Wissman, in Long Island, New York. From the moment she entered this world, she lit up their lives in a way they didn’t know was possible. In a few short years, she would be the amazing elder sibling and role model to her brother Gregory and sister Erica. Growing up in Holbrook, New York, the three siblings formed a bond that continued through adolescence and into adulthood and it became evident that Desiree would always surround herself with those who loved and cared for her. In Holbrook, the three siblings bonded with the McConnells whose children Christopher, Lisa, and Bobby formed a strong group they titled the MW Family. After sixth grade, the family moved to Port Jefferson, New York where Desiree made lifelong friendships with an incredible group of women who she would have throughout high school, college, and into adulthood. These friends included Corinne, Lindsay, Amy, Allison, Hali, Audrey, Erica, and Caitlin who all continue to stay in touch today.

Des was always busy growing up and was a person devoted to her commitments, ranging from her career as a soccer player to the lifelong friendships she held close. She was a part of the Sachem Flames travel soccer team for many years where her toughness and scoring abilities helped the girls develop into talented soccer players. Led by head coaches Luis and Aris, there were many tournaments and trips made throughout her soccer career as the Flames traveled around the country including to Minnesota and Disney World. Their toughness always struck fear in their opponents and they would be quickly titled “the Team from New York”. Desiree again formed tight bonds with her teammates not only in the hard work on the field but off the field as well whether it be at the hotel the team was staying at or an offseason team party at her teammate Theresa’s swimming pool. Her love of soccer extended to the high school varsity team where she led her team in scoring and gained interest from college soccer recruiters coaches. She also enjoyed playing basketball and competed in Winter and Spring track where she set many records in the women's discus and shot put event. To this day, her name is still on a banner in the Port Jeff high school gym.

When it was time to head off to college, Desiree made the choice to attend Binghamton University in Central New York. While she pursued her goals to study Mathematics Education and play on the collegiate soccer team, she quickly formed new lifelong friendships. Oftentimes, the women’s and men’s soccer teams would come together. There, she met Tyler Bush, whom she became quite close to, quite quickly. Little did she know that soon after, Tyler would introduce her to his cousin, Bradley. Like most people who met Des, Brad was enamored with her, but the feeling was mutual. The two fell in love.

Desiree and Brad bonded through humor, athleticism, and love for music. Brad admired Des’s quick wit and her ability to tease him. He loved that family was important to her, just as it was to him. As much as they had in common, she was his complement in many things–the outgoing to his reserve, the boisterous to his quiet, the relaxed to his energy.

When it was time to meet Brad’s family, his parents, Marty and Deb Hirschy, and siblings Brock and Amanda, were enamored by Desiree’s warmth and lovable personality. Most of all, they all witnessed the way Brad lit up just by simply being around Des. Des, too, treasured the relationship built with Brad’s family and the love and bond they both shared. Everyone could see that Brad and Des had a special relationship, and so it was no surprise when Brad proposed.

Desiree and Brad married in 2010 and settled in MD, where Des became a teacher. They prioritized the relationships they had with their friends and family, frequently visiting their parents and siblings as they settled into married life. Eventually, they bought a home and were lucky to meet wonderful neighbors and friends from work, whom they bonded with. Julia, Andy, Jay, and Shannon formed tight knit bonds with Des and Brad.

Through Desiree and Brad, yet another loving relationship was formed as Erica, one of Des’s best friends from childhood, met and fell in love with Brian, another cousin of Brad’s.

One of Desiree’s greatest hopes was to be a mother, and she and Brad were blessed to welcome their first son, Jackson Bradley, into the world in August 2012. Des approached motherhood like she did everything in life, with joy, looking for ways to make life fun and exciting. Soon she and Brad were blessed again with the birth of their second son, Ryder Nicholas, in April 2014. The ultimate boy mom, Desiree looked for ways to teach through play, to go on family adventures, to pursue the fun of life, and to ensure that her boys felt loved.

In 2020, in the middle of the stressors of the COVID pandemic and quarantine, Desiree and Brad made the life-changing decision to move to South Carolina, a move prompted by a new job but that also brought them closer to some of their closest friends and family, including Tyler and his family, as well as other college friends. Initially feeling pretty isolated in their new neighborhood because of the pandemic, they were blessed to make friends with their neighbors, Kenny, Heather, Joe, Christine, Tanner, Christina, Miriam, Bill, Andy, and Tamara. Soon, these friends bonded and became quite close, spending many weekends together as their children played.

True to the predominant theme of her life, Desiree continued to seek out the joy of life with friends and family, watching her boys grow and supporting her new community. Des threw her whole passionate self into everything she did, whether volunteering at Jack and Ryder’s school, teaching a fitness class, cheering on her sons as they played youth sports, or visiting with friends and family in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania. She laughed long and loud, made those around her laugh, and filled many hearts with love.

Love is what we will all feel when we remember our beautiful Desiree. Joy is what we will feel when we think about her smiling face. Blessed is what we will all feel when we think about our relationship with her. She lived life out loud, keeping friends and family close, prioritizing people, knowing that the moments where we connect with others are the most precious moments of life. To live abundantly and love deeply is the lesson she taught all of us.

She will be forever young in our hearts, and we will hold her dear when we think of our memories with her and see her handsome sons grow into strong young men.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Hirschy Boys Scholarships GoFundMe. The purpose of the GoFundMe scholarship is for their future education and sport interests. 

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