Katherine Ann Madden, of Ardmore, August 13, 1951 - July 12, 2021

Daughter of Robert Carr Madden and Eleanor Allen Madden, RN. Katherine's father attended St. Joseph's University on a GI scholarship and graduated first in his class. Katherine inherited his intelligence and her mother's compassion.

Katherine graduated from Haverford High School and the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing, among the top- rated nursing schools in the US.

Like her mother, and nephew after her, she was a skilled and dedicated nurse   A fierce advocate, one of the first Visiting nurses to care for AIDS patients in Philadelphia, her vocation in life was to relieve suffering, no matter the kind.

My first memory of Katherine was of a three-year old, an overnight guest, who made a grown man, her uncle, sit by her bed 'til she fell asleep.  A half hour later when he tried to sneak away, she demanded "where are you going?" at which point he promptly sat down again. Persuasion, determination - her best gifts, she exhibited all her life.

Katherine exuded self- confidence, was well spoken and outspoken like her Dad,  took charge, was fearless, unapologetic, brilliant with a 'can-do' attitude. She was comfortable in her own skin, and could stand alone. A good neighbor, she made friends quickly and had their backs. She believed that disagreeing was normal and getting over it was par for the course. Katherine did not hold grudges and was the first to seek reconciliation. Some of those qualities were innate, others learned. Her life was not easy including living part of her last year in a rehab facility coping with Covid mandates. Success was hard won. Like the rest of us, she had her demons and she worked successfully at exorcising some. She was a fighter, and overcame tough obstacles.

Katherine was a great listener and conversations with K were mostly about you. She had a dry sense of humor, was a tease and often chuckled at the vagrancies of life.

Katherine saw beauty in wild things. She knew the eagles on the upper Delaware who nested across from where she lived; watched deer swim from the island off shore. She was glued to the eagle camera as babies hatched, and their mother fed them. When she lost some mobility, she continued to feed the birds through a system of pullies from three storeys high. Stray cats – Mr. Gray, Gigi, and a host of others - seemed to find her. She'd spend her last penny providing for their care. Her last, Rupert, a black oriental short hair feline, was the love of her life.  Knowing he would survive her, she arranged for his adoption ahead of time.

Katherine always had a garden. With just a shovel and trowel she turned fields of weeds into perennial beds, dividing plants instead of buying more that she could not afford. For interest she grouped collections of cobalt blue glassware at the edges that sparkled in the sun.

After retiring she liked her own company best. With limited mobility, she did not complain, made the best of situations, content to garden, rewire lamps, make decorative craft items on a loom, watch favorite TV series and preferred to hear friends' conversing on the phone instead of sending type written messages over the internet.

It was never dull being with Katherine.  Although trite to say, she was a force of nature. God did throw away the mold.  As the Irish say, Katherine was an old soul. She believed in reincarnation.

Katherine will be sorely missed but we the living rest assured that when she came to the end of all she knew, her Heavenly Father gave her either firm ground to stand upon or wings to fly. God Bless dear Katherine wherever you are!

The family would like to thank Lankenau Medical Center for the wonderful care they gave Katherine.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals, 328 Upper Gulph Rd., Radnor, PA 19087.

Burial will be private.