Kay Whalen

Gentle and loving, Kathryn "Kay" Whalen sought no fanfare, no praise, no admiration for the ways in which she served others. She quietly went about her business, helping where she saw a need, and taking pleasure in things others often take for granted. Kay was an incredibly generous woman who changed people's lives for the better. By expressing her love through her actions, words and faith, she allowed herself to be a good friend to everyone she met.

1941 is most often remembered for the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th. It was also in this year that President Franklin Roosevelt gave his Four Freedoms speech, and as the U.S. geared up for war, protest songs were being sung by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Burl Ives. Despite the impending threat of war, Elmer Kampfschulte and his wife, Helen (Blandford), of Grand Rapids, Michigan, were keeping positive spirits by focusing on the new blessing in their family. On December 18, 1941, the couple delighted in welcoming the birth of their daughter, Kathryn or Kay as she was called.

Kay grew up in a traditionally large Catholic family; she was the fourth of six children. Her father faithfully provided for the family working for Swift Meat Co. while her mother was a busy homemaker. As the only girl, Kay was constantly teased by her five brothers, though always in good fun. Her brother Jerry decided once to cut all the curls out of Kay's hair, much to his mother's dismay. Yet, Kay and her brothers liked putting on plays together at home, which were always entertaining. Kay loved to fill her time playing in John Ball Park, which was near her home on Ball Park Boulevard, or swimming in the Lincoln pool. In the wintertime, she could be found ice-skating on the pond, or sledding and tobogganing down the neighborhood hills. As a teenager, Kay worked as a soda jerk at Matthew's Drug Store also near her home.

The Kampfschulte family were members of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, and this strong Catholic upbringing would become an important part of Kay's life. Aside from attending Sunday Mass at St. Mary's, Kay was also baptized, received her first communion and was confirmed in this church. She received her elementary education at St. Mary's school, and later attended Mt. Mercy Academy for girls. It was at Mt. Mercy that Kay developed a close relationship with Fr. Hugh Michael Behan, who encouraged her to devote her life to the Lord as a nun. After graduating high school, Kay went on to attend Mercy College in Detroit, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in 1963. During this time, she was a sister of the Mercy Order. Although Kay always had the best of intentions in her heart, she was known to be a little "rebel" around the convent. Eventually, her Mother Superior sent her to Clinton, Iowa, where she worked for 2 years. While there, Kay enjoyed singing in the Presbyterian choir and made many good friends. When she left Clinton, Iowa, the entire town gave her a farewell party.

She transfered to St. Joseph Hospital in Ann Arbor, and worked in the Intensive Care Unit. In the late 1960s, after much prayer, Kay left the Mercy Sisters. She moved back to Grand Rapids and lived with her parents for a time before getting her own apartment in Heritage Hill. Kay went to work at Blodgett Hospital in the Intensive Care Unit, where she worked closely with burn patients, before there was even a Burn Unit. After taking a three-month sabbatical to Europe with her good friend, Susan Barns, Kay returned to work as a teacher at Mercy Central School of Nursing through St. Mary's Hospital. In addition to her many years of teaching, Kay was also instrumental in helping to establish the Family Practice Residency Program at St. Mary's with Ron Palmer, as well as the Family Health Center. She later did work with Dave Cuneo to create Home Health Services, Inc. Kay was never idle when it came to being a health care professional; she always found some kind of project that utilized her expertise. This included working in the Kent County Cancer Registry Program (now Spectrum Health Cancer Registry Program), which organizes statistics of cancer patients for the health care industry.

Although Kay worked hard to achieve success in her nursing career, there was always time for a little R and R. It was around 1967 when Kay went on a blind date to a party at the Lincoln Country Club. As fate would have it, she met the love of her life that evening; his name was Michael Whalen. The two hit it off right from the start, and soon began dating. Over the next eight years, their love for each other blossomed and they were happily married on September 12, 1975, by Rev. Tom Schindler in Michael's backyard. After a romantic honeymoon in northern Michigan, the newlyweds settled into married life together in a house on Leonard Street, and later they made their home on Maryland Avenue in Grand Rapids. Kay loved to spend much of her time outdoors tending to her many plants and flowers; she really had quite a green thumb. In fact, she and her good friend, Bea Meekhof, worked together for three years growing fresh herbs in their "Herb Patch" in their backyards, and sold herbs to area restaurants. In 1999, Kay and Michael sold their Maryland home and moved to Somerset Avenue, where they live today. Everyone who entered the Whalen home always felt warm and welcomed. Kay and Michael were wonderful hosts and always had great food and good company at their parties. Kay knew that true hospitality began in the heart, and when she became aware of an Irish musical group that was coming to Aquinas College in Grand Rapids that needed a place to stay, she and Michael opened their hearts and home to them. They became very close to the Coyne family and even visited them in Ireland on three occasions.

Both Kay and Michael enjoyed being in the great outdoors. For 27 years, they had a cottage on Big Star Lake in Lake County, where they loved to have family and friends over. Later on, the couple sold this cottage and bought a cabin in the woods near Pentwater, Michigan, on 20 acres of lush land, complete with a pond. Though they loved the serenity of the cabin, Kay and Michael also loved to travel and visited many great places around the U.S., including New York, Florida, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Acadia National Park in Maine, not to mention many hikes through several other national parks. Through the years, they found great companions in their dogs, Branish, Buddy, Duke and Mulligan.

1991 was a very difficult year for Kay. Besides losing her father, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery and 7 months of grueling chemotherapy. With the love and support of her family and friends, Kay fought hard to live each day and always had a good outlook. Her cancer went into remission for many years, but sadly in 1999, it had reappeared in the lymph nodes, and by 2003 the cancer spread to her liver and bones. Still, Kay was determined to live every moment of her life to the fullest, with much love and laughter. In the last month, she and Michael attended their nephew's wedding in Oregon and took some time to leisurely drive down the coastal highway, making memories that now become treasures of the heart.

Kay loved life and the people that were a part of it. She was a role model for so many people in her life and never sought any recognition for it. Knowing the value of humility, honesty and sincere generosity is the only way to know the person and life of Kay Whalen. She touched many lives and will be remembered in the hearts of them all.

Kathryn E. "Kay" Whalen, age 64 of Grand Rapids, passed away on Thursday, September 28, 2006, at Spectrum Health - Blodgett Hospital in the presence of her loving family. She is survived by her husband of 31 years, Michael Whalen; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Dan and Mary Kay Kampfschulte, Tom Kampfschulte, Kathy Kampfschulte, John Kampfschulte, Jim and Cheryl Kampfschulte; her mother-in-law, Mrs. Rosemary Whalen; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Price, Tom and Carol Whalen, Terry and Kathy Whalen, Dennis and Kathy Whalen, Patricia and Joe Pinsen; special friends, Alice and Tom Christensen and Maureen and Patrick Maher, Sally and Dick Brom; many nieces and nephews and many friends. Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Helen Kampfschulte, and her brother, Jerry Kampfschulte. Her family would like to thank Dr. Pawl, Kathy and Linda and all the staff of Dr. Pawl's oncology program for their loving care, and Sony and the Interventional Radiology Department and 1-D oncology nurses of Blodgett Hospital. Kay was a wonderful and loving person who had a great enthusiasm for life. She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 3, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grand Rapids (please meet at church). Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Relatives and friends are invited to meet her family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel - 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, on Sunday, October 1, from 7-9 p.m. and on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution in her memory to St. Mary's Church Building Fund or the Van Andel Institute for Cancer Research. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may leave your own memories of Kay or to sign her guestbook.