Vale Katherine Kingsbury OAM

With sadness, we share the news of the passing of Katherine Kingsbury (she/her) OAM.

Katherine was integral in establishing MCM Palliative Care Services and held the position of Palliative Care Operations Manager.

Katherine had a proud nursing career of over 40 years across several services. She is best remembered for her pioneering work, which introduced Palliative Care Services to Australia in 1979, first at MCM in North Fitzroy. Experiences in pioneering hospices abroad influenced her approach, learning new ways to offer symptom control and empowering patients to remain at home if they wished.

During her extensive nursing career, Katherine demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of individuals facing end of life.

Current MCM staff were fortunate to meet Katherine at the Palliative Care 41st Anniversary Celebration Event in November 2022. Katherine was curious as to the development of the service after so many years away. Still, she radiated her passion and commitment to quality end-of-life care.

Katherine shared the following reflections via email after the evening:

“That night, I left to travel home with a sense of closure, perhaps the first time that I have understood that term. I had left a room still buzzing with the sound of excited voices of people, most of whom were barely at kindergarten or not yet born when the program was beginning. The program was clearly in good hands, and what happened to me all those years ago, at last, no longer mattered to me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see the fulfilment of those early dreams of mine.”

Katherine’s legacy will forever mark and inspire our work in palliative care.

Katherine Wilma Kingsbury (née Salmon)
18 March 1933 - 29 September 2023