Obituary of Kathryn Bambrick

Kathy Bambrick slipped gently into the darkness on October 7, 2021. Kathy is survived by her wife, Belinda Thompson, their daughter, Hannah Thompson, and their three cats and one dog. Kathy requested no formal funeral services be held, so Belinda and Hannah will be receiving friends for a remembrance picnic Tuesday, 10/12/21 at the Cass Park Pavilion (near the Children’s Garden) - 701 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Family and friends are welcome to bring a snack to share or make a donation to one of Kathy’s charities of choice - Doctors Without Borders or Tompkins County Public Library Foundation. She has lived in Ithaca since 2006 and in Pine City, NY from 1991 to 2006. By all reports, Kathy was a fabulous Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. She worked at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in the NICU from June 1992 until her retirement in February 2021. If you had a baby cared for in the NICU during that time, you may remember Kathy for her dedication to the comfort and excellent medical care of your infant(s), as well as her attention to detail and her work educating parents and guardians to ensure a safe and successful discharge. She avoided all career changes that would move her away from direct, hands-on care, preferring to work closely with her tiny patients. Kathy was an avid reader (about a book a day), enjoying thriller and crime, science fiction, and fantasy novels, as well as historical and public policy nonfiction. She borrowed from the Tompkins County Public Library, the Steele Memorial Library, and from the electronic book collection of the New York City Public Library. In 2019, Kathy read over $14,000 worth of borrowed books just from TCPL, had she purchased them. Kathy was a shy and very private person. A lover of funky, cozy socks and coffee with lots of milk, of Andes Chocolate Mints and raspberry-chocolate ice cream, her favorite place to be was on the back porch reading with a cup of coffee and a cat (or two), watching the birds in the backyard. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of the Cayuga Medical Center Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit, Bangs Ambulance Services, and the Hospice Center of Ithaca - Kathy was really grateful for the care she received, and so are we.