The Kathryn Thornton Legacy Fund was established by family and friends as a meaningful way to memorialize Kathryn and provide vital support to hospice patients in need of comfort, peace, and quality of life. You can click here to make a safe online donation in her memory.

Kathryn passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. She was 34 years old.

Kathryn grew up in Levittown, PA. In 2008, when she was 23, Kathryn unexpectedly started to have grand mal seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Her seizures were intense and led to several significant injuries, impacting her quality of life. She found hope and new friends through the local Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Philadelphia support group and was seizure free for many years. During this time she rescued her best friend, Olive, a mixed breed dog, and companion to the end. She also met and fell in love with David Paone, and the two were due to be married on October 12, 2019.

Kathryn knew very early in her life she wanted to be a nurse and was resolute in pursuing her dream. It wasn’t until she transitioned to Hospice that she found her calling and true passion. For the last two years of her life she served as an RN at Compassus Hospice in Fort Washington, PA, where she inspired many with her wholehearted commitment to the well-being of her patients.

On September 11, 2019 Kathryn unexpectedly passed away from a deep vein thrombosis that led to a pulmonary embolism. She is survived and dearly missed by her parents, Jean and Vincent Thornton, her brother Robert Thornton and his wife Lauren, Olive, her loving fiancée, friends, family, and her fellow nurses.

Kathryn lived by a quote by Abraham Lincoln that evokes the very mission of hospice: “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” Kathryn’s biggest passion was improving the quality of life for others. She truly loved Hospice Help Foundation for the vital ways that it helped her most vulnerable patients live each day to the fullest.

Make a donation today and help Kathryn’s legacy continue to cast a ray of light for those patients who need it the most.

Thank you for your tribute to Kathryn!