O’ROURKE, KATHLEEN, age 52 of Grand Rapids, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, January 2, 2015. She is survived by her parents, Terry and Maureen O’Rourke, her sister, Maggie O’Rourke (Theisen), her brother, Terry (Carla) O’Rourke, and her nephew and niece, Grady and Claire Theisen, and her close friend Mark Darnell. She is preceded in death by her grandparents John and Jean O’Rourke and Bill and Jane Corbett, and brother in law, Dennis Theisen. Kathy graduated from Wausau East High School in 1980, and earned her BS in Nursing from GVSU in 2002. Her sharp intellect and her personable nature made her a natural nurse. She knew the technical and medical aspects of her job while never failing to spend time talking with her patients, making them feel comfortable and heard. From the first time she won the spelling bee in 2nd grade, to the last time she beat us all in Trivial Pursuit, we always knew she was a brainiac. She was extremely competitive and we always wanted to be on her team because we knew she would win! She read everything she could get her hands on. She had a love of old movies and musicals, as well. She was three when she started belting out songs from The Sound of Music using a hair brush as a microphone. She was an avid and skilled golfer. Kathy was extremely proud of her Irish heritage, perhaps only bested by her love of the Green Bay Packers and her dog, Gracie. We know she is now in heaven, busy filling in those there before us with tales of our shenanigans – in detail – as we wait to join them. Mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2750 Burton St. S.E., Grand Rapids, Msgr. Ernest P. Schneider presiding. Interment Woodlawn Cemetery. Visitation Wednesday 6-8:00 p.m. with scripture service 6:00 p.m. at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Chapel, 3980 Cascade Rd. S.E., Grand Rapids. Memorial contributions may be made to San Juan Diego Academy, 1650 Godfrey Ave. S.W., Wyoming, MI 49508 or Gift of Life Foundation of Michigan, 3861 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
