Kathleen Elizabeth McKee Stern, 83, died July 6, 2016 in her home in Wilder. She was born February 5, 1933 in Medford MA to Kathleen Elizabeth Mulvey McKee and William James McKee.

Graduated from Medford High School (1950), Mount Holyoke College (1954), and New York Medical College (1958). After an internship at Mary Fletcher Hospital, Burlington Vt and a pediatric residency at Boston City and Boston Children's Hospitals with a shared pediatric practice in Gloucester MA and entrance to American Board of Pediatrics, she moved for her husband's surgery practice to Lima, Ohio, where their four children were born (one died in stillbirth).

Kathleen spent a good share of her career practicing pro bono. Her services were especially appreciated at Lima Senior High School, and then later at Ohio Northern University in Ada, OH. She was originally trained in pediatrics, and in later years retrained in adult psychiatry at the University of Connecticut, and then in child psychiatry at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, where she also taught. After this she moved to practice psychiatry in Windsor and Springfield VT, while livng in Brownsville (West Windsor), and raising Rhodesian Ridgebacks there. She moved to Burlington for a year to devote to the healthy growth and upbringing of her grandson, Harry, while her daughter worked.

She was an active volunteer in community organizations wherever she lived. She was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Norwich, VT where she volunteered many hours, and also volunteered at the Norwich Library and with Meals On Wheels through the Bugbee Senior Center.

Some years after retiring, she moved up to Norwich to be closer to all the activities and her friends in the area. She loved learning and continued to expand her knowledge through reading and classes at ILEAD / OSHER including multiple poetry courses with Patricia Norton and others. She read avidly and enjoyed multiple book clubs and discussion groups. Her favorite were detective novels. She loved the film and performing arts series at the Hop (with senior discount!) and regularly bought season tickets to each. She also loved driving over to Chautauqua, NY in the summers (with friends) to see the NY ballet perform at a discount. In her most recent years she opened her home and served as a dog rescue for abandoned older dogs.

She was predeceased by her brother, Donald Peter McKee of New Brunswick NJ in 2015. She is survived by her son, Jeffrey Alan Stern and his partner, Sayon Syprasoeuth, of Garden Grove, CA; her daughter Karen Leslie Stern and her son Harry Ellis Brawley IV, of Colchester, VT; and Shoshana Juliana Stern Coté and her husband Robert Coté of Newport, NH, and their daughter Lacey Coté and son Adam Coté; and by her nephew through her brother, Aaron Silver McKee, of Philadelphia, PA.

There were no calling hours. A memorial service was held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich, VT, on August 7, 2016, with Pastor Patience Stoddard officiating.

Memorial contributions may be sent to New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, and Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH.