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Obituaries » Kathleen A. Hogan-Martinez

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September 11, 1955 - December 17, 2022

Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, January 13th 2023 at 10:30 am at Saint Thomas More Student Parish in Kalamazoo, with luncheon to follow. Memorials may be directed to the Trust of Kathleen Hogan-Martinez to help support her son Mario.

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It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Kathleen Ann Hogan-Martinez, beloved wife, mom, sister, friend, aunt and grandma. Kathleen peacefully entered eternal rest with her family by her side on December 17, 2022.

Kathleen met Alfredo (Al) Martinez in a sociology class at Western Michigan University and began their life learning and growing together, uniting in marriage on June 5, 1981. Alfredo (Al) passed in 2021. Kathleen is survived by their living legacies, Pedro Clare Martinez, Alicia Kathleen (Eric) Cameron and Mario Alfredo Martinez and three grandchildren who were her world, Lilia Kathleen, Carson James and Kaleb Martine.

In addition, Kathleen is survived by her siblings; John Hogan, Colleen (Walter) Coulter, Ann (Kevin) Hogan-Standley, James (Dennis Higbee) Hogan as well as many nieces and nephews and siblings-in-law. Kathleen was preceded in death by her parents Clare James Hogan and Kathryn Adeline Doepker, sisters-in-law Josephina Medrano, Imelda Ramirez, niece Marisa Medrano and nephew Little Joe Garcia.

Kathleen was born September 11, 1955 in the rural community of Carson City, MI. She spent her first eleven years in a small house on Elizabeth St., where she loved to play under the lilac trees with her siblings, make stone soup, play “Laura Ingalls Wilder” and listen to stories about the “olden days” told by her elderly neighbors. She credited the education that she received at the hands of the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary’s Catholic School for igniting her sense of social justice and the importance of diversity and equity. Kathleen and her family moved outside of town to her grandparents’ farm. Kathleen’s love and appreciation of nature grew while living on the farm and helping her father with farm chores. Kathleen graduated high school in 1973 and made the big move to Grand Rapids, MI to attend Mercy Central School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 1975. She credited her years at Mercy as some of the most formative of her life, learning alongside and under passionate, dedicated and intelligent nursing professors and fellow nursing students. She began her career in St Johns, MI, worked in Lapeer and Lansing before moving to Kalamazoo where she began her long career at Borgess Medical Center. In her retirement Kathleen devoted her time to caring for her grandchildren, spending time with her children and working part time as a bookseller.

Kathleen was a brilliant nurse and fierce advocate for her patients, families and co-workers. She was passionate about learning and teaching within the nursing profession and loved being a mentor to others. She truly loved nursing and over the years became the official family nurse, always lending her compassionate skill set to loved ones in need. Kathleen has been a significant source of support, unconditional love and encouragement for so many. Kathleen lived her deep faith in action and was a strong advocate for social justice. She enjoyed listening to NPR, reading good books, music and theater, spending time in nature, hiking, gardening, thrift store shopping and finding the perfect gift. She loved all things coffee, her dog Luna, baking, cooking, exercise, discovering new means of relaxation and self-care, cozy sweaters and caring for her grandchildren every Wednesday for over eleven years. Most of all, Kathleen was a consistent loving presence in the daily lives of her children and grandchildren. Kathleen loved unconditionally and her priority in life was to give unending love and support to those around her.