Obituary for Kathryn Knowles "Kathy" Suminsby
Northeast Harbor
Kathryn Knowles Suminsby, 88, passed away peacefully in Northeast Harbor on Jan 29, 2023. Born Jul 2, 1934, in Ellsworth to Jerome H. Knowles, Jr. and Evelyn A. (Farris)Knowles, she graduated from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine in 1952 and Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY in 1956.
On Nov 15, 1957, she married Robert Suminsby of Northeast Harbor. In 1972 she and her husband bought the Knowles Company, her family’s Real Estate and Insurance business, which was established by her grandmother, Belle Smallidge Knowles, in 1898. Kathy worked at the business for 20 years.
Kathy was an exceptionally active member of the local community, and shared her passion for the outdoors, cooking, gardening, and education through tireless volunteer work. She served for many years as a leader of the local Girl Scout Troop, leading trips to locales from Downeast Maine to as far away as Wyoming. She was President of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and active in the Vassar Alumni Association. She was well known by generations of Northeast Harbor children for her homemade caramel apples at Halloween, a tradition she kept up for over 50 years.
In the mid 1970s, she began a long career in Emergency Medicine, first as an EMT and later as a certified Paramedic. She volunteered for many years with the Northeast Harbor Ambulance Service and was later employed by County Ambulance in Ellsworth. As an EMT Instructor, she trained many EMTs for Downeast Maine. As President of the MDI Hospital Auxiliary, she founded the MDI Lifeline program to offer remote assistance by telephone for seniors in an emergency.
Kathy took great pride in her garden, and eventually completed the Maine Master Gardener training program. She served as a board member of the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve.
Kathy was a lifelong parishioner at the Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude Episcopal Church in Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor where she was an active member on numerous committees including the Episcopal Church Women, the Altar Guild and Vestry.
In 2013, the Northeast Harbor Library recognized her long service to the community with the Don E. Coates Distinguished Service Award.
Kathy is survived by her daughter Bethany Reynolds and husband Dexter Bellows of Pahoa, Hawaii; son Robert Suminsby, Jr. and wife Celeste of Albuquerque, New Mexico; son Jerome Suminsby of Northeast Harbor; and her three grandsons, Robert Suminsby, III and wife Erin of Albuquerque, NM; Samuel Reynolds of Hancock, ME, and Benjamin Suminsby of St. Louis, MO. She was predeceased by her husband Bob in 1999.
A celebration of Kathy's life will be held 10am, Saturday, July 15, 2023, at St Mary’s by the Sea, 20 South Shore Road, Northeast Harbor.
Those who desire may make contributions is Kathy’s memory to Mount Desert Nursing Association, P.O. Box 397, Northeast Harbor, 04662, Island Connection, 93 Cottage St., Suite 101, Bar Harbor, 04609 or your local food pantry.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com
Kathryn Knowles Suminsby, 88, passed away peacefully in Northeast Harbor on Jan 29, 2023. Born Jul 2, 1934, in Ellsworth to Jerome H. Knowles, Jr. and Evelyn A. (Farris)Knowles, she graduated from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine in 1952 and Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY in 1956.
On Nov 15, 1957, she married Robert Suminsby of Northeast Harbor. In 1972 she and her husband bought the Knowles Company, her family’s Real Estate and Insurance business, which was established by her grandmother, Belle Smallidge Knowles, in 1898. Kathy worked at the business for 20 years.
Kathy was an exceptionally active member of the local community, and shared her passion for the outdoors, cooking, gardening, and education through tireless volunteer work. She served for many years as a leader of the local Girl Scout Troop, leading trips to locales from Downeast Maine to as far away as Wyoming. She was President of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and active in the Vassar Alumni Association. She was well known by generations of Northeast Harbor children for her homemade caramel apples at Halloween, a tradition she kept up for over 50 years.
In the mid 1970s, she began a long career in Emergency Medicine, first as an EMT and later as a certified Paramedic. She volunteered for many years with the Northeast Harbor Ambulance Service and was later employed by County Ambulance in Ellsworth. As an EMT Instructor, she trained many EMTs for Downeast Maine. As President of the MDI Hospital Auxiliary, she founded the MDI Lifeline program to offer remote assistance by telephone for seniors in an emergency.
Kathy took great pride in her garden, and eventually completed the Maine Master Gardener training program. She served as a board member of the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve.
Kathy was a lifelong parishioner at the Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude Episcopal Church in Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor where she was an active member on numerous committees including the Episcopal Church Women, the Altar Guild and Vestry.
In 2013, the Northeast Harbor Library recognized her long service to the community with the Don E. Coates Distinguished Service Award.
Kathy is survived by her daughter Bethany Reynolds and husband Dexter Bellows of Pahoa, Hawaii; son Robert Suminsby, Jr. and wife Celeste of Albuquerque, New Mexico; son Jerome Suminsby of Northeast Harbor; and her three grandsons, Robert Suminsby, III and wife Erin of Albuquerque, NM; Samuel Reynolds of Hancock, ME, and Benjamin Suminsby of St. Louis, MO. She was predeceased by her husband Bob in 1999.
A celebration of Kathy's life will be held 10am, Saturday, July 15, 2023, at St Mary’s by the Sea, 20 South Shore Road, Northeast Harbor.
Those who desire may make contributions is Kathy’s memory to Mount Desert Nursing Association, P.O. Box 397, Northeast Harbor, 04662, Island Connection, 93 Cottage St., Suite 101, Bar Harbor, 04609 or your local food pantry.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com