In Memoriam: Kathleen Korman, RN

NYSNA lost a long-time member of our staff family this week, Nurse Rep Kathleen Korman, RN (above).

President Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, offered these thoughts: “I first met Kathleen in 1984 when she was working as a staff nurse at Montefiore. I had distributed a flier with a clip-off coupon that said “YES! I would like to get involved with NYSNA.” Kathy clipped it and placed it in our Montefiore LBU mailbox. I called her and cajoled her to join our LBU activist group.”

“She said that she found her second calling at that moment: advocating for nurses’ rights, our practice and our patients through our union. Kathleen became our Grievance Chair, and her persistence wore down the administration to the point of exhaustion (theirs, not hers). Her passion and her determination - and her refusal to concede saved many nurses from harm. Her fortitude was unequaled, and her optimism was infectious.”

“Kathy never missed a beat when she became a NYSNA rep upstate. She was a hero to so many of her members. She raised two amazing daughters, and as a NYSNA staffer was steadfast and powerful, deeply impacting the lives of many members.”

“Even when she faced a poor prognosis, her optimism and strength dominated. She was hellfire, indefatigable and a fighter to the end. I will miss her with all of my heart and soul.”

Kathleen Korman, Rest in Power.