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Hinsdale Hospital to celebrate 100th birthday of volunteer
Longtime Adventist Hinsdale Hospital volunteer Kathryn Brackett will celebrate her 100th birthday Tuesday with members of the weekly sewing circle.
Updated: January 4, 2013 4:06PM
HINSDALE — Adventist Hinsdale Hospital will celebrate longtime volunteer Kathryn Brackett’s 100th birthday on Tuesday, Jan. 8 during a gathering of her weekly sewing circle Brackett.
Hospital staff and others will drop in and visit with Brackett from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Jan. 8 in the volunteer office at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, 120 N. Oak St. in Hinsdale. Brackett’s birthday was Dec. 26.
Brackett has volunteered with the hospital since 1978, Volunteer Services Director Lora Cummings said. Since then, she’s logged about 5,500 lifetime hours volunteering for the hospital, mainly as part of the sewing group.
The sewing group creates dog and cat pillows for patients in hospital’s pediatric department.
“Each person has a role, one piece for that particular pillow,” Cummings said. “Because each woman has a particular role in creating each pillow, a little bit of love from each goes into each pillow”
Brackett is also a legacy member of the Hinsdale Hospital Foundation, along with her husband Harold, who died Nov. 26, 2012 at age 100, said Hinsdale Hospital Foundation Gift Planning Director Mary Klingenberger. Harold Brackett spent many years working as a hospital escort, and the Bracketts are ongoing donors.
“Their philosophy was, when they decided to support an organization, they were really giving from the heart,” Klingenberger said. “That’s how they chose things.”
The Bracketts are originally from Hinsdale, though are most recently residents of King Bruwaert House in Burr Ridge. The couple was married for 74 years.
“Kathryn said they spent their lives holding hands,” Klingenberger said.
