Kathleen Kurtz

Kathleen Mary Georgina Kurtz (née Kimpton)

25 February 1930 - 19 August 2023

Kathleen passed away peacefully on 19 August 2023 at the Shenkman Palliative Care Unit of the Elizabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa at the age of 93.

Predeceased by Gordon, her devoted husband of 56 years, she will be in the loving memory of her four children: Tracy (Matthew Kirby) of Melbourne, Australia, Alison (Othmar Stein) of Ottawa, John (Josée Boisclair) of Halifax, and Ian (Stéphane Cyr) of Montréal. She will be dearly missed by her two grandchildren: Marissa and Dylan. She was also predeceased by her older brother Ted Kimpton (Gay) of Burlington, ON, and leaves her older sister Eileen of Peterborough, ON, and younger brother David Kimpton of Thunder Bay, ON.

The daughter of UK immigrants and First World War veteran Edwin and Edith Kimpton (née Aggio), Kathleen was born in Galt (now Cambridge), Ontario. A child of the Great Depression who lost her mother at the tender age of two and who subsequently grew up during the challenging years of the Second World War, she never took anything for granted and learned and lived by the basic principles of hard work and personal responsibility. A young woman with a strong sense of adventure, upon graduation from teachers college she left for the Canadian Arctic in the early 1950s to teach in a one-room school house in the remote community of Coppermine (now Kugluktuk), NWT. In addition to learning and living by Inuit culture (pre-snowmobile era) and experiencing the beauty of a part of Canada that most Canadians never have the opportunity to see, she fell in love with a fine young RCMP constable with whom she went on to raise a family.

After returning from the North in 1960, Kathleen lived primarily in Ottawa with brief stops in Québec City and Moncton, NB. Throughout these years Kathleen continued to substitute teach at local schools in Ottawa. Known as an engaged member of her community, for many years she volunteered with 'Meals on Wheels' and explored the world as an active member of the Orleans Volks March Club logging many miles with club friends. She enjoyed countless hours in her garden and devoured the daily newspaper, albeit usually a week late. Close family and friends will have been fortunate to receive stacks of clippings sent in traditional mail on topics she thought would be of interest. She delighted her family with delicious homemade baked goods, her famous butter tarts and date squares being a perennial family favourite. Kathleen was a woman with a unique curiosity and zest for life. There were simply not enough hours in the day to enjoy every possibility, whether it was a trip to the art gallery, an evening at the opera, a documentary on television, a cross country skiing afternoon, or just a simple drive in the passenger seat to relish in the beauty of the country side. After Gordon retired, they settled on Rivermill Crescent in Orleans where they helped to build a wonderful and diverse community among neighbours. At home, Kathleen always enjoyed the company of CBC radio, whether she was in the room or not, and the world stopped each evening for her daily dose of Coronation Street.

The family would especially like to thank the staff and volunteers at Hazeldean Gardens Retirement Residence for their dedicated and compassionate care the past five years. The family is also grateful to the Bruyère’s Shenkman Palliative Care Unit who kept Mom comfortable as she tackled the final days of her tremendous life journey.

A private family service will take place at Beechwood Cemetery. Kathleen having been a lifelong believer in the power of charity, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army or the Bruyère Foundation would be appreciated.