Kimberly Jean (Aken) Gambarin

Dr. Kimberly Jean (Aken) Gambarin, 46, passed away at home on July 25, 2016. Kim was born in Beacon, NY on December 24, 1969. She suffered for several years with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy that began (for unknown reasons) after a second surgery on her shoulder. Dr. Gambarin recently retired and closed her medical practice, Hill Country Infectious Disease Consultants in Austin, TX. She is survived by her husband Dr. Semyon Gambarin, daughter Elena Kristine Gambarin, parents Bernard R. Aken, Jr. and Phyllis G. Aken ---all of Austin, TX. Her grandfather, Bernard R. Aken, Sr. of Munising, MI. passed shortly after his granddaughter on August 28, 2016.

Accomplishments: *Child prodigy pianist recognized by Julliard and Mannes. (Born with perfect pitch.) *Graduated from Spackenkill HS, Poughkeepsie NY, May 1988. Was Salutatorian, NY Regents Scholar and an IBM Watson Scholar. Held many school leadership/officer positions and inducted into the Honor Society. Member and officer of the Thespian Society. Was undefeated singles tennis player Junior year. Played the oboe in the school symphony. *Graduated from Cornell University, Ithaca NY, May 13, 1993, with a Bachelor of Science in Biogenetics. (Held club leadership positions such as Secretary and President of the largest club on campus, The Concert Commission.) *Graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from SUNY Stonybrook Medical School, Long Island NY, May 1998. Passed 4th year medical boards (US & Canada) in the 99th + percentile. *Completed medical residency in Internal Medicine as well as Fellowship in Infectious Disease at Baylor, Houston, TX. *Certified in Advanced Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. *Earned a Kuk Sool Won martial arts Black Belt. Kim was self-driven and pretty much the best at whatever she tried.

Kim's life story is quite incredible. A few highlights: When Kimberly was in first grade she played Sonatina, Opus 55 #1 by Friedrich Kuhlau on the piano in a NY State Music evaluation (NYSMA). When her parents walked into the music room with her, the judge asked her mother what she, Phyllis, was going to play. Phyllis apparently looked more like a HS student than did 1st grader, Kim. Phyllis smiled and pointed to Kimberly. Kim earned an A+ Outstanding in every evaluation category. Kim was playing more difficult music at the time, but her Russian music teacher, Natasha Uspenski, (who had studied at the Vienna Conservatoire) felt it best to start NYSMA with something a little easier than her current most challenging pieces.

Kim gave back to the community by playing "Lunch and Listen" concerts at one of the downtown Poughkeepsie churches. When people knew that Kim was the musician featured, the pews were filled with people of all income and education levels who would come just to hear this very musical pianist.

Kim gave back to her school and friends by playing the piano for 'school plays' for even the high school while she was still in elementary school. In junior high school, she offered to accompany her friends who were just starting to play their instruments at NYSMA. She accompanied her best friend, Erin Douglas, and soon Erin's teacher wanted her to accompany all his students. Her musicality and ability to react immediately to a soloist's mistake, and continue as flawlessly as possible, had instructors from schools all over Poughkeepsie calling and offering remuneration if she would only play for their students. Kim only had time to play for her friends (which she did for free) and used her background and talent to help them do their very best. As a young adult in Ithaca, NY, Kim volunteered in her church nursery on Sundays and delivered "Meals on Wheels" when she stayed at Cornell on her breaks.

When it came time to choose a career, Kim had the ability to do many things, but from an early age she told her parents she wanted to be a medical doctor or maybe a veterinarian. While she was a student at Cornell, she became a paramedic in her "spare time." Said she didn't want to go through medical school and find out she could not handle blood and death ---so she worked in EMS. After she had to repel into one of the gorges in Ithaca, NY to help a student in trouble, she called her parents and said, "It's an ok feeling to hear a 'bravo' when I play the piano, but I really like to play music for myself. However, there is no feeling I have ever had like the satisfaction and the rush I feel saving a life." Opening her own medical practice was a dream come true.

In the end, however, no achievement was ever more dear to her heart than her daughter, Elena. In her last days, Kim's eyes just lit up when she talked about one of their recent excursions to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant and movie, "The Secret Life of Pets." Kim and Sam created this "sweet-pea" as well as many wonderful memories over 18 years of marriage. He stood beside her as the RSD changed her life.

A Memorial Gift of Seven MalMark Handbells

(bottom ½ of 5th octave)

John Donne might say: For whom these seven bells toll, they toll for Kimberly and for *thee (* as any person's death is a loss to all of us). With the money given to her memorial fund and a very generous donation from her parents, Bernard and Phyllis Aken, Shephard of the Hills Lutheran Church purchased seven MalMark Handbells in Kimberly's memory: C3 C#3 D3 D#3 E3 F3 F#3. Previously, the bell choir had MalMark bells of the first four and a half octaves.

Per Kevin McClure, Choir Director, "The bell choir had to use choir chimes for the lowest pitches these seven bells cover. The problem is a very distinct color change from bell to chime as you move down the scale. It was a make-do solution, only. There is no substitute for the color of a real bell. The bell choir now has a complete set. With fewer bells, you can play a lot of music, but you are often leaving out big parts of the sound intended by the composer. It is sort of like playing a Mozart Symphony without the cellos and basses."