Kathleen Marie Runkel

Kathie loved her family, and all sorts of homelife arts such as gardening, cooking, baking, sewing and knitting. She was very respected for her intelligence and wisdom, all while being a very humble woman. Though tormented repeatedly by cancer and various other health ailments for many years, everyone remarked on her positive outlook on her life. Even after her failing eyesight prevented her from driving, she fought to keep some independence by learning to schedule the local bus service for seniors to keep doctor’s appointments and other errands. After two weeks in the hospital she was able to spend her final days at home and passed away March 4, 2025.

Kathie was born September 6, 1957 at the Selfridge Air Force Base in Mount Clemens as the first of six children of Ronnie and Jean Fiebelkorn Gamble. She learned organization skills very early taking messages from her father’s insurance customers after he left the Air Force, and built upon that foundation as she went into retail management.

Kathie loved all types gardening. Both vegetables and flowers were equally fun for her. She always credited her grandmother, Dorothy, for introducing her as a little girl to picking green beans from her garden as a snack.

Other lifelong hobbies were sewing and knitting. She first became interested in knitting after watching her Aunt Betty do the same. Kathie made it her mission to knit afghans for the whole family: siblings, their spouses, their children, and their children’s spouses. Some are very elaborate and as each one was a custom creation, she wanted them to be a symbol of her love for you.

Kathie bought patterns and made quite a bit of her own clothing and some for children, too. She even made half a dozen men’s suits for her husband Gary, who proudly showed them off to his co-workers. But the most artistic creations were her quilts. She made some small lap quilts and wall hanging quilts with various holiday themes and other artistic designs. Her very large bed quilts were a thing of beauty and could have been displayed along side prizewinning quilts at any show.

Kathie tried a few different careers after retail management lost its appeal. Real estate sales were not as glamorous as portrayed in print. She switched to seamstress work but found that it diminished the fun as a hobby. Finally she hit on the idea of medical clerical work, and got certification as a Cancer Registrar at Henry Ford Hospital, then Beaumont Hospital, and finally McLaren. She eventually retired in fall of 2022. The knowledge she acquired as a Cancer Registrar turned out to be quite handy when she became a cancer patient herself.

Family will receive friends Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 10am at the Pixley Funeral Home, at 322 W. University Dr., Rochester, MI. Service will begin at 1pm with a luncheon to follow.