Kathy DeVault passed away on December 5, 2022, at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin with her children at her bedside.

Kathy was born July 30, 1943, the third child of John and Helen McCarthy in Brooklyn, NY. She was raised by Rose and George Greenberg of Brooklyn, NY. As a young adult, she participated in roller derby and was a ferocious jammer.

Her early life was a chaotic saga. Life with John and Helen was hard. So too was life with Rose and George. These early experiences compelled her to aspire to a better life. As a young adult, she declared that she alone was responsible for determining the life she would lead regardless of her childhood experiences. She lived this declaration to the fullest and unapologetically expected the same of others. She was dedicated to being kind to everyone, although her cooking could be considered a crime against humanity.

She would later credit a roller derby injury as inspiring her to pursue a career in nursing. She got to know the nurses caring for her and was impressed with their work and independent lives. In 1963, she graduated Caledonian School of Nursing with a degree in Practical Nursing. This would be the first of multiple college degrees she would obtain. She graduated from multiple universities with multiple degrees, culminating with a Doctorate in Nursing from Rush University in Chicago in 1997. She worked at Cook County Hospital in Chicago for over thirty years as a Nurse Practitioner in the Emergency Room, Colorectal Services, and later Nursing Psychiatry.

She married David DeVault III in 1973. They had two children, David and Megan prior to divorcing after 20 years. She was immensely proud of her children and always their first and best cheerleader. She enjoyed reading, sailing, playing cards, and dancing. She volunteered in her community and was elected to the Town Council of Beverly Shores, Indiana, for three terms. She learned of her adoption as an adult and established relationships with all three of her siblings that would last the rest of her life.

She retired to Madison, Wisconsin, to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. There, she volunteered in her community until she became too ill to continue. Her last years were marked by an illness that she approached with grace and bore with dignity. Many of her friends and family were unaware of how gravely ill she was. Being sick was not something she was willing to have limit her life. There was always a laugh to be had and a kind word for her to share.

Kathy is survived by her son, David DeVault IV, and daughter-in-law, Evelyn DeVault of South St. Paul, MN, daughter Megan DeVault and son-in-law, Darin Phillips of Madison, WI; brother John McCarthy of Canyon City, CO; sisters Joyce Walker of Naugatuck, CT and Kathy Bingaman of Nampa, ID; her grandchildren Catie Johnson, Kipling Phillips, and Eleanor Phillips and multiple nieces and nephews. 

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