Obituary of Kathleen Devin

On Sunday, August 11, 2013, COL (Ret) Kathleen Devin of Rainier, WA passed peacefully at Providence St. Peter Hospital, Olympia. Kathleen Devin was born September 11, 1940 in Berkeley, California to Philip Lee Devin and Bernice (nee Rogers) Devin. She graduated from Los Gatos High School and went on to further her education at San Jose State College, as well as completing her Master’s Degree in Nursing at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Colonel Devin joined the military in 1958, while still completing her education at college. She was a member of the Army Nurse Corps from 1963-1990. She served one tour in Vietnam and two tours in Germany. As a registered nurse, Kathleen’s various assignments during her time in the military included Private Duty Nurse to General Eisenhower after his Presidency, she was on the faculty at Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing, Assistant Chief Nurse at 97th General Medical in Frankfurt, Germany, and Nursing Director of Nursing Education and Training at Madigan Army Medical Center until her retirement in 1990. From 1990-2011 Kathleen was an EMT, Tender Operator, Fire Commissioner and EMS Coordinator for the Rainier Fire Department now known as S.E. Thurston Fire Authority. Until 2011 Kathleen actively taught on-going education courses to EMT’s in Thurston County. She also worked part-time fore Thurston County Health Department giving immunizations to county fire department personnel. She was fondly referred to as “The Shot Lady”. As a Fire Commissioner, Kathleen was active and instrumental in the formation of the S.E. Thurston Fire Authority From 2009 until her passing Kathleen was a student of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment and always said to those close to her “I live in a community that has the greatest school of focus in the world, I think I had better take advantage of that and learn something about myself.” Kathleen is survived by her brother Lee Devin, of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, nephew Sean (Sandy) Devin and their two children, Emma Grace and Rory, of Littleton, CO, niece Siobhan Devin of Inverness, CA, and stepsister Sharon (Randy) Douglass. She is preceded in death by her mother Bernice Devin, father Philip Lee Devin and stepmother Catherine Irene (nee Dunlop) Devin. There will be a Celebration of Life for Kathleen on Sunday September 8, 2013, open from 1 p.m-4p.m at the Prairie Hotel Conference Room, 701 Prairie Park Ln. NE., Yelm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to any of the following: Dancing Dog Farm and Rescue, P.O. Box 1037, Rainier, WA 98576 or an animal rescue of your choice, and The Phoenix Rising School, P.O. Box 1010 Rainier, WA 98576. Please sign the Guestbook below.