Kathreen Mary Johnston ’75

Kay died on December 18, 2018, after a long and bravely fought battle with ovarian cancer.

Born in Chicago on March 17, 1953, Kay majored in biology and graduated magna cum laude.  In 1979, she graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School and moved to San Francisco to begin her medical residency in pediatrics. After finishing her residency, she completed a fellowship in genetics at UCSF.

While pursuing her fellowship, she reconnected with our classmate Les Timpe.  Kay and Les were married in 1984.

Kay was a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Stanford University Medical Center from 1986 to 1993. From 1993 to 2015, she was a clinical geneticist at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco and was chief of the Genetics Department for 10 years. Also a member of UCSF’s clinical faculty, she was a mentor for many residents, fellows, and genetic counselors there.

Most of all, Kay loved spending time with her family and friends, to whom she was fiercely and selflessly devoted.  She was a proud Democrat and feminist.

Here are some of the other things that Kay loved:

Kay loved Princeton. She loved the Marching Band, especially when her son, Robert ’12, was playing the trumpet—but even when he wasn’t. She loved San Francisco and New York City and Paris and London and Assisi.  She loved gardening in her own backyard, and she loved Central Park. She loved going to the theater, in San Francisco, in New York, in London, and in annual trips to Ashland, Oregon. She loved the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Natural History. She loved the Giants, but mostly when they were in the playoffs. Actually, she loved the Giants only when they were in the playoffs. 

Kay loved St. Francis, and she loved Pope Francis. She loved Christmas. She loved traveling the world, and she loved walking around her own neighborhood. 

Kay loved being a doctor. She loved President Obama.  She loved a good joke, and she loved to laugh.  She loved David Sedaris, and she loved Game of Thrones.  She recently developed a love for real Chinese tea. 

To Kay’s husband, our classmate Les Timpe ’75; their son, Robert Timpe  ’12, and daughter, Clara Timpe; Clara’s fiancé, Josh Echols; her parents, Richard and Mary; her sister, Lyn; her brothers, Richie and Mark; and many other loving family members and friends, the Class extends its sincerest sympathy.