This memorial website was created in remembrance of our Sarah, wife/partner, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, who was taken too soon, but who gave so much while with us. She will be greatly missed, but our memories of her hospitality, humor, kindness, caring for others (people or pets), and especially the children with critical medical needs, will be with us always.
"Supporter, Protector and Friend of Children, Felines and Canines"
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n lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established at Children's National Hospital, Washington, D.C. in Sarah's name.
In Memory of Sarah Ellen Kamininski - From the Children's National Donation Page
Sarah's family and I started this fundraising effort to honor Sarah's passion for helping children with critical medical needs. Please join me in making a donation in memory of Sarah. Your gift will address the special needs of patients and families at Children's National Hospital, continuing the important work to which Sarah dedicated 30 years of her life.
http://giving.childrensnational.org/goto/SarahKami...
You can also donate to a local Animal Shelter or Rescue Agency in her name.
The notice below was posted in the Washington Post on 8-14-20.Sarah Ellen Kaminski passed away peacefully on August 8, 2020 at the Capital Care Hospice in Greenbelt, Md., after having spent 4 weeks in hospice at her home in Cheverly, MD. She died as a result of an incurable brain tumor. She was 73.
Sarah is survived by her husband of 39 years, Thaddeus Kaminski of Cheverly, Maryland and by her two brothers Tom (Ruth) Williams of McKinney, Texas and David (Debby) Williams of Downers Grove, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her parents Thomas O. Williams and Alice J. Cavanaugh Williams. Sarah also leaves behind a large supporting extended family and special friends in Scotland, Portugal and the Cape Verde Islands.
Sarah was born in Battle Creek, Michigan but lived most of her life in Upstate New York predominantly in Marcellus, New York where she graduated from Marcellus High School. Sarah went on to get an RN Certification from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and a BS Degree in Nursing from University of Dubuque, Iowa. Along her time as a nurse she added to this training by earning several certificates in advanced and pediatric nursing. She received a Distinguished Service Award from St. John’s Child Development Center in Washington, DC. In her retirement Sarah enjoyed having lunch out and traveling to visit family and friends. She also liked doing window shopping; especially on the Eastern Shore.
Sarah worked at several Children’s Hospitals in the country to include the University of Wisconsin-Madison as Coordinator of the Cerebral Palsy Clinic (at the time she was Sarah Reed) and at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC where she worked for over 30 years. Her colleagues remember her as a person who was a an expert organizer of children’s care in multidisciplinary clinics to include ensuring that each and every child that needed one; would see a doctor, nurse or get an x-ray, test, surgery or other treatment or equipment, regardless the demand that existed at the time. Sarah was also a dedicated and fond lover of rescued cats and dogs.
In the early ‘80s after learning Portuguese at the Foreign Service Institute, Sarah accompanied her husband on a foreign service assignment to the Cape Verde Islands, West Africa. There she immediately established herself as the first American Embassy nurse ever in this newly emerging democracy of a nation. Her claim to fame was to be able to give a shot in the behind to the First American Ambassador ever to serve there. While in the Islands, Sarah treated numerous local residents and their families who remember her till this day. They still mention how she took care of their children.
There were few places that Sarah could go in the DC area where someone did not remember her as the person who “took care of my children”. We will miss her enormously. May she rest in peace.