Birth date: Jul 8, 1964 Death date: Aug 11, 2012
Katharyne Mary Sullivan, M.D., 48, died on Saturday, August 11th 2012 after a valiant battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Sullivan was born July 8th 1964 in New York City. S Read Obituary
She was my doctor... I knew her back when I was just a kid. She was one of the few people that believed me when I told her the truth about my family. She was always so warm and loving. Her office was always serene, and she didn't care if I played with a puzzle the entire time we talked, or if I made eye contact. I felt safe with her around. I was actually looking to get back in touch with her. To thank her. Then I came across this and hoped it was just someone with the same name and occupation. She will be missed.
I would have said something sooner, but I was kept in the dark about her passing for over 3 months. She was the most caring doctor I've ever met, truly feeling the pain and doing whatever she could to relieve it. She had a great outlook on live, and was a great triathlete. I'm saddened by this loss and send my deepest condolences to her family.
Rest in Peace.
Dear Alan and Family,
Words cannot express the sadness I felt when I heard of Katharyne's passing. I worked with her at Cedar Ridge Children's Home in Williamsport, MD. I appreciated her knowledge, insight, and her unending concern for the children we worked with in our Therapeutic Group Home.
I was saddened when she left our area, but glad to know that she was moving to a new point in her life. I spoke with her a few times after you relocated and she was always bright and wonderful. My wife was a teacher in Loudoun County and had recommended her services when families were seeking help. She will certainly be missed.
Words will not take away your pain, but I hope you find comfort knowing how much she was appreciated by those who knew her.
Sincerely,
Peter A. Allphin, LCSW-C; LICSW
Alan and Family,
Our family is so saddened by the loss of Dr. Sullivan. She helped our family and in particular our teenage daughter to find answers and treatment. Her kindness and patience will never be forgotten. She didn't always see us at our best- yet she was patient, supportive, and always showed that she wanted things to be better for all of us. We will never forget her. Our hearts go out to you, your children and all of her family.
The Perrell Family
I met Dr. Sullivan once. She was a breath of fresh air and provided clarity to a questionable diagnosis. We will always be grateful that she touched our lives. She will be missed in Leesburg.
Alan and Family
Where do I begin. To have had the opportunity to meet Kathy and all of
you was one of the most beautiful Blessings in my life. Kathy was such
(and always will be) a very beautiful lady. When I hugged her after having
the privilege of Praying with her, it was as if our Souls connected. She and
all of you will forever be in my heart.
My Love & Prayers always
Blessed Fr. Seelos Pray for Us
Sandy Sanchez
(volunteer at the Shrine of Blessed Fr. Seelos in New Orleans)
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Sullivan when she practiced with Behavioral Health Services in Hagerstown, Maryland. She was a remarkable psychiatrist and a wonderful spirit. Dr. Sullivan's kind eyes matched her loving, compassionate heart. My sincere sympathy to the family during this time and in the days ahead.
CIndy Carbaugh-Campbell
A Tribute To Katharyne M Sullivan, MD
Thanks to everyone for their kind words, wishes, and prayers over the past year as Kathy battled Leukemia. Kathy went to heaven on Aug 11th after a valiant fight. What do you say when you have lost your best friend, wife, and life partner of over 25 years? Because Kathy was a Psychiatrist, it was tough for her to get on any social media. So Kathy has no Facebook page. I just wanted to share with you who she was if you did not know her, or did not know her very well. First, she was the most incredible person I have ever met. I am not just saying that because she was my wife but because of all the people she has helped over the years. I feel like the world lost a very special person. I met Kathy when she was an undergraduate at the University of Rochester. Her smile and her warmth captivated me immediately. We eventually got married after she graduated 1987. With all our worldly possessions (mostly wedding gifts) in the back of our Chevy Citation, we began our adventure. I found a job in Massachusetts where I had been studying and she went to work at a Daycare Center, because she wanted to help kids. But she decided to set her sights higher and started applying to Medical Schools so she could help more people. She was accepted at a number of Medical schools but she chose the University of Buffalo, and it was an excellent school but more importantly it was because their tuition was something we could afford. She graduated from Medical School in 1992 and had to choose a specialty. She was debating between Surgery (which she loved) and Psychiatry (which she also loved). She decided that Psychiatry would be a family friendly career path as we wanted to start having children. Kathy completed her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency at the University of Rochester in 1997 and started her career. I convinced Kathy to move to the better climate of the Virginia and Maryland area, where I was born and raised. As a board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Kathy started her career at the Behavioral Health Services, Washington County Health Systems in Hagerstown MD. Kathy really enjoyed helping very sick children. The stories she would tell about some of these children would break the hearts of the most hardened person, and I could tell it took its toll on her at times. But these children needed help, and Kathy wanted to apply her skills to deliver that help. We moved to Leesburg in 2001 and she became the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Graydon Manor (a children's home) where she helped more children. In 2005 Kathy decided to start her own practice called Children and Families First where she began to treat not only children, but families and adults. Most recently Kathy joined Grafton Integrated Health Network as their new Chief Medical Officer. She was looking forward to this new chapter in her career. She started working there Sept 30th, 2011. We were in Toronto for Conference she was attending in October, 2011 when she started to get winded from walking 1 block. This was not normal for Kathy who was an avid runner and had completed a Triathlon. She got a blood test in late October and was immediately admitted to the Hospital. We found out she had a kind of Leukemia called AML on November 4th, 2001. After being admitted to Johns Hopkins we found out it was the "bad kind" of AML which is rarely survivable. But Kathy battled. She went through 2 rounds of chemo and received a bone marrow transplant on March 30th, 2012. She spent over a 100 days in the hospital, but she had an incredible drive, and an uplifting spirit. Her goal has to run a half marathon with her brother David in November. By the way David was a 100% match bone marrow donor. In my mind, she had already run 3 marathons, 2 rounds of chemo and the bone marrow transplant. We found out the Leukemia was back in July, 2012, and this time it was even more aggressive. We decided to travel and take our family to New Orleans where we visited the Blessed Father Seelos Shrine and celebrated our 25th Anniversary. Kathy connect
My daughter and I are so sorry for your loss. We also feel a great loss and it's hard to put into words exactly how much Katharyne meant to us! We have known her for many many years and she was part of our family in so many ways! She was such a kind, caring compassionate lady who helped many children and families through hard times, and trust me we would know! We pray that GOD wraps you all in his loving arms and guides you through this terrible time! Thanks for sharing Kathy with all of us!
GOD BLESS!
Penny & Lindsay Kline
Hagerstown, Md.
