Obituary of Kathleen Jane Kenyon

Kathleen J. Kenyon (73) left this world on July 6th, 2017 after a brave and unwavering battle against cancer, surrounded by her daughter and close friends at her home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She will forever live with us in spirit. Kathleen was born in New York City on May 12, 1944 to Walter Aloysius and Jane Davis Kinsella. She graduated from The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, NY in 1962 and went on to nursing school in the Bronx, graduating from Misericordia Hospital School of Nursing in 1966 as a Bachelor--‐‑degreed Registered Nurse. From there, she worked at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, served as the Director of Nursing at Van Dyke's Nursing Home (also in Ridgewood), and was a nurse at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J. Kathleen moved to Chapel Hill, N.C. in May 1994, where she continued working for 23 years as an oncology nurse at the University of North Carolina Hospital before retiring in 2009. One of her more notable career moments was meeting former President Richard Nixon at Van Dyke's Nursing Home. Kathleen enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, reading, working out with friends, and her weekly trips to Whole Foods or as she called it "Church." She was known for her kindness, her sense of humor, her thoughtfulness, and her contagious laugh. She is survived by her three children: daughter, Megan (husband Chris) from Hawthorne, New Jersey; her sons Robert from Brooklyn, NY and Michael (wife Leela) from San Francisco, CA. She is survived also by her two brothers Kevin (fiancée Paten) from La Jolla, CA and Harry (wife Becky) from Philadelphia, PA. Kathleen has five grandchildren: Peyton, Nora, Amanda, Josh and Kelsey that she loved spending time with and was affectionately referred to as "Grammie." In keeping with Kathleen's wishes, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to Unity (www.unity.org/donate): a charity to which Kathleen was devoted. The family would like to thank all of the friends, medical professionals, and social workers who helped care for Kathleen in her final days and hours. Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is honored to serve the Kenyon family.