Obituary of Kathleen Ann Iles

We are saddened to announce that Kathleen “Katie” Iles, M.D. peacefully passed away at the age of 30 on October 10, 2022 at her home in Durham, North Carolina after a several year battle with cancer.

Katie was born on November 17, 1991 in Skaneateles, NY to her parents, Sue and Dan Iles. After graduating from Skaneateles High School with honors, Katie went on to study at Le Moyne College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and met her husband, Taylor Gleeson. Katie then attended SUNY Upstate Norton School of Medicine where she received several distinguished honors including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award, the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award and served as the president of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. After graduating in 2018, Katie and Taylor moved to North Carolina where she began her surgical residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Katie was fiercely dedicated to teaching, for which she received multiple awards. She pursued technical excellence in the operating room, and advanced the science of medicine through several research publications and presentations. Katie is remembered by colleagues as an exceptional physician who cared deeply for her patients and had a relentless commitment to her field. She continued practicing medicine at the hospital in the years following her diagnosis and throughout her treatment.

Above all, Katie was a source of wisdom, compassion and laughter for those lucky enough to know her. The way she lived her life raised the bar for everyone around her. Outside of her professional career Katie was a talented artist and enjoyed reading, exercise, boating, travel and above all spending time with those she loved – especially her husband Taylor and dog Cash.

Katie is survived by her husband Taylor Gleeson; her two sisters Shannon Iles and Brady Iles; and her parents Dan and Sue Iles.

A memorial service will be held on October 18th from 4-7:00 p.m. at Robert D. Gray Funeral Home located at 49 Jordan St. in Skaneateles, NY. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Katie’s exceptional life. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, it was Katie’s wish to direct all gifts to the endowment fund that has been established in her name at Upstate Medical University, the Kathleen A. Iles ’18 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Katie was a recipient of many of these scholarships, and was passionate in her goal to pay it forward. The annual scholarship will be awarded to a medical student from Central New York with an interest in surgery. Donations can be made online at https://medalumni.upstate.edu/scholarshipgifts by selecting ‘Kathleen A. Iles MD ‘18’ in the drop down menu. We truly appreciate any and all contributions.