Kay was born in Plainfield, NJ and raised in East Orange, NJ. She moved to Sussex County in 1957 and lived for 62 at Stone Bridge Farm in Newton with her late husband, Arthur. She graduated from Clifford J. Scott High School in East Orange, then attended the nursing program at the College of St. Elizabeth. She continued her education at East Stroudsburg University, earning a Bachelor of Education, before going on to earn her Masters of Science in Nursing from the Rutgers-Seton Hall program in 1977.
Kay had a rewarding career in nursing. She began her career in the operating room at Newton Medical Center. After becoming a school nurse, she worked with Stillwater Elementary and Frelinghuysen Elementary for several years, but she spent the majority of her career as a pioneering school nurse practitioner at Allamuchy Elementary for more than 20 years before retiring in 1991. Students and families from Allamuchy still remember and refer to her as “Mrs. K.”
Kay attended Christ Episcopal Church in Newton and was previously a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Blairstown—of which she was a charter member with her late husband Art—and earlier, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Newton, where she and Art raised their family, as well as Gethsemane Lutheran in Hackettstown, where she and Art were married. She was also a member of the NJEA and the professional society Delta Kappa Gamma. Kay frequently volunteered in the community, serving at Project Self-Sufficiency, Manna House, and the Warren Co. Library. She was also a Master Gardener, an avid knitter and seamstress, and a patron of the performing arts.
Kay was predeceased by her husband, Arthur C. Kleindienst; her parents, John J. and Katherine E. (Tobin) Sullivan; and her sister, Virginia (Sullivan) Crane. She is survived by her brother, Dr. John J. Sullivan Jr. and his wife Susan; her children, James Kleindienst and his wife Ellen and Katherine “Kathy” (Kleindienst) Hoyer and her husband, Mark; her grandchildren, the Rev. Deacon Katherine “Katie” Hoyer, Sharon (Kleindienst) Lidle and her husband Coleman, Molly Hoyer, and Machinist Tech. 2nd Class Michael Kleindienst, USCG; her great-granddaughter, Maeve Lidle; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and four beloved godchildren.
Memorial Services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, 62 Main St, Newton, NJ Saturday, July 6th at 10 AM with a private interment in Stillwater Cemetery to follow.
Memorial donations may be made in Katherine’s memory to Project Self Sufficiency (www.projectselfsufficiency.org), Bethania Kid’s Foundation (www.bethaniakids.org) or Christ Episcopal Church (www.christchurchnewton.org).
