It is with great sorrow I have to announce the passing of Kady Crist Elkins on April 19, 2018. Wife, mother, nurse and adventurer. Kady was taken from us in a shockingly fast departure from this life by the ravages of breast cancer.
Kady fought an inspired battle against the disease but it was all for naught. The horror and power of triple negative breast cancer was just too much to overcome. Kady was known by many in the area and was an inspiration to all who knew her.
Kady was featured in a number of Petoskey News Review articles about her battle with breast cancer. Perhaps there will be a final article in the future so her story will come full circle. Kady was the heart failure nurse in the Heart and Vascular unit at Northern Michigan McLaren hospital.
In her job there, Kady performed with great character and professionalism. She was the one they often sent into the patient who needed a translation of what the doctor had just told them. Kady instinctively knew how to handle each individual patient and could explain to them in common English what they may expect going forward.
She was featured on the cover of McLaren hospitals Living with Heart Failure brochure. I am certain that McLaren hospital, the staff, and all of her patients in the Heart Failure clinic are going to miss her greatly. Kady was born on September 25, 1960 in Torrance California and spent her formative years in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Her parents were Francis Crist and Carol Anne Tarle, formally of Ironwood Michigan. So yes Kady had some Yooper in her! Her step-father George B. Griswold, Dean of Mining at New Mexico Tech, also pre-deceased her.
She has two brothers, Peter and Matt Griswold of Houston Texas. Kady and her husband of 25 years, Bob Elkins, were blessed to have two children together. Kaynan Elkins, 23, is a student/cadet at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan college.
Sydney Elkins, 20, is a junior at Grand Valley. Kady was also a step mother to Amber Elkins Soto, 33, mother of Kaleb and Jude Soto and Erin Elkins Sclafani 29. All of the children and her husband were by her side when she passed away on a beautiful sunny afternoon, overlooking her beloved Lake Michigan.
Kady loved Northern Michigan. Living on Sturgeon Bay, Kady loved the beach, her loons, and hiking with her dogs Cody and Maggie in the woods and trails around Cross Village. She was a powerful hiker.
In her earlier years she served in the peace corp on the island of Yap in Micronesia in the south Pacific. The Yapee people called her, “Woman who walks strong like man”! Boy could she really go.
Upon receiving her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer in August 2016, Kady decided to do a cancer fund raiser for Mclaren’s breast cancer foundation. It was called, “Kady’s climb” and her plan was to hike the whole length of the 220 miles of the John Muir starting in the Yosemite National Park in California. With her children and niece joining her in different segments of that trail, she conquered the full length of that trail.
Kady hiked in total over 230 miles, she climbed a total elevation gain of over 48,000 feet. She slept on a mat and she planned and prepared dehydrated meals cooked prior to the hike, planning was her strong suit. She lost 10% of her total body weight, and carried a 40-pound backpack for the entire distance.
She was a hell of a woman and my pride and admiration of her knows no bounds. Kady asked me to pass on to you that if you have a chance, go to a sand dune like her beloved Grape Hill on Sturgeon Bay. Run down that sand dune like a 10-year-old kid as fast as your little legs can go.
Feel the surge of excitement and freedom, and the feeling of being young again and you will be right where she wanted you to be. ALIVE. Kady chose to be cremated and her ashes to be spread at her three favorite places in this world.
Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, her beach on Sturgeon Bay, and Horse thief meadows in the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. The family will be hosting a showing at Schiller Funeral Home 5505 M-119 in Harbor Springs, MI on Sunday, April 22nd 2018 3-5PM. Kady had many passions in life.
If you would like to donate in lieu of flowers towards one of her causes, they are; Google “ Kady’s Climb” that benefits McLaren Hospital’s, breast cancer foundation. Or a Go Fund me site in the name of “Catharine Elkins” that benefits her family through this difficult time. You may also Google, “Cross Village Loon Recue”.
Where you will see just how passionate this woman really was about nature. We are going to miss Kady tremendously. The family is planning a memorial service in honor of Kady’s life on July 14th 2018 at her cottage at 7779 Sturgeon Bay Drive, Cross Village, MI You too can join the broken hearted club, there are a lot of members.
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