Obituary for Brenda Magdaline Kidd
Brenda Magdaline (Kanupka) Kidd
May 5, 1945-July 23, 2022
If the measure of one’s life is the ability to make and maintain relationships than no one stood taller than Brenda Kidd. As evidenced by the sheer number of those who have reached out in love to her during these months of cancer treatment. Her village of well-wishers literally circumnavigates the globe and includes those whose history literally reaches back to her earliest childhood years. Her best friends in life continued to be her Kensington, Connecticut 5yr old playmates. Whether it be her life of faith growing up in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or her relationships with family and friends, Brenda was forever faithful.
Brenda’s career as a registered nurse spanned 50 years. The final 35 years was faithfully spent on the night shift in Cardiac PICU, Children’s Hospital, Seattle. Her professional life left a lengthy list of grateful fellow medical staff as well as patients who counted her healing efforts as grace. Brenda loved the collegiality and spirit of community found among her night shift workmates.
In 1974 Brenda married Tom, a Lutheran minister. Their life together was marked by playful banter, a spirit of adventure, humble resources and a mutual shared faith that was woven to the very core of their life together. Their life story traveled from San Francisco to the prairies of Alberta, to the remote coast of British Columbia to Bellevue, WA, and finally to Whidbey Island, WA. Along the way they were blessed with three children: Jason, Jhennifer and Jocelyn. All of them proud of their Canadian heritage.
Without a doubt Brenda’s greatest joy in life was her family. Whether it be her own family around the dinner table, Tom’s family of origin, or her large extended family “back home”. Annual trips to CT were assumed and no one could escape the obligatory group photo. She also was the best putter on the golf course, hands down!
When it was time, her family came together to love Brenda to death… Tom, Jason (Christina), Jhennifer (Jim, grandchildren Abbie and Vivian), Jocelyn (Robert), Sister-in-law Debbie (Chuck), Brother George and Sister Janet, nephews (George, Joshua) and nieces (Becky, Sara, Erin) along with many others for whom Brenda was family. Brenda was loved by Godson Keith, “Favorite Niece” Laura and is grieved by sister-in-law Helen and brother-in-law Rich.
Brenda was fiercely loyal, transparently honest and quick to share her megawatt smile. She was at heart a healer always evoking grace. From the time of her diagnosis (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, thank you) and the difficult news, “You need to know we cannot cure you”, Brenda made the decision, along with Tom, that they would do their best to live with this cancer redemptively. The prayer was that Brenda’s cancer would be redemptive in someone’s life. She was a healer to the end. Brenda never complained. Mercifully, Brenda won her reward. The family is blessed by the faith and love she lived out until the end. Words cannot express how much she will be missed.
Brenda’s life will be celebrated August 19th at 1:00 PM. The service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland Washington. For those unable to attend, the service will be live streamed via YouTube “Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland WA”, or the Trinity Lutheran web page, www.trinitylutheranfreeland.org. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church to support Ukrainian refugees that have been affected by the war. Write “Brenda” or “Ukrainian Relief” within the memo portion.
May 5, 1945-July 23, 2022
If the measure of one’s life is the ability to make and maintain relationships than no one stood taller than Brenda Kidd. As evidenced by the sheer number of those who have reached out in love to her during these months of cancer treatment. Her village of well-wishers literally circumnavigates the globe and includes those whose history literally reaches back to her earliest childhood years. Her best friends in life continued to be her Kensington, Connecticut 5yr old playmates. Whether it be her life of faith growing up in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or her relationships with family and friends, Brenda was forever faithful.
Brenda’s career as a registered nurse spanned 50 years. The final 35 years was faithfully spent on the night shift in Cardiac PICU, Children’s Hospital, Seattle. Her professional life left a lengthy list of grateful fellow medical staff as well as patients who counted her healing efforts as grace. Brenda loved the collegiality and spirit of community found among her night shift workmates.
In 1974 Brenda married Tom, a Lutheran minister. Their life together was marked by playful banter, a spirit of adventure, humble resources and a mutual shared faith that was woven to the very core of their life together. Their life story traveled from San Francisco to the prairies of Alberta, to the remote coast of British Columbia to Bellevue, WA, and finally to Whidbey Island, WA. Along the way they were blessed with three children: Jason, Jhennifer and Jocelyn. All of them proud of their Canadian heritage.
Without a doubt Brenda’s greatest joy in life was her family. Whether it be her own family around the dinner table, Tom’s family of origin, or her large extended family “back home”. Annual trips to CT were assumed and no one could escape the obligatory group photo. She also was the best putter on the golf course, hands down!
When it was time, her family came together to love Brenda to death… Tom, Jason (Christina), Jhennifer (Jim, grandchildren Abbie and Vivian), Jocelyn (Robert), Sister-in-law Debbie (Chuck), Brother George and Sister Janet, nephews (George, Joshua) and nieces (Becky, Sara, Erin) along with many others for whom Brenda was family. Brenda was loved by Godson Keith, “Favorite Niece” Laura and is grieved by sister-in-law Helen and brother-in-law Rich.
Brenda was fiercely loyal, transparently honest and quick to share her megawatt smile. She was at heart a healer always evoking grace. From the time of her diagnosis (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, thank you) and the difficult news, “You need to know we cannot cure you”, Brenda made the decision, along with Tom, that they would do their best to live with this cancer redemptively. The prayer was that Brenda’s cancer would be redemptive in someone’s life. She was a healer to the end. Brenda never complained. Mercifully, Brenda won her reward. The family is blessed by the faith and love she lived out until the end. Words cannot express how much she will be missed.
Brenda’s life will be celebrated August 19th at 1:00 PM. The service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland Washington. For those unable to attend, the service will be live streamed via YouTube “Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland WA”, or the Trinity Lutheran web page, www.trinitylutheranfreeland.org. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church to support Ukrainian refugees that have been affected by the war. Write “Brenda” or “Ukrainian Relief” within the memo portion.