Camille Catherine Kurtenbach, 25, of Oak Park, died on Nov. 13, 2015. She attended Irving Elementary School, Julian Middle School, and was a 2008 Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate.
As a child, she waited breathlessly for new Harry Potter books and would stay up all night reading them. A gifted athlete who played softball and volleyball in high school, she was also a pitcher for the Windmills softball team. As an adult, she discovered a love of running. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Tampa in 2012, graduating Cum Laude, and was a student in the Rush University Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) geriatric nursing program while working full time as a nurse in the Rush University Medical Center Emergency Department. Prior to working at Rush, she worked in the telemetry unit at Rush Oak Park Hospital.
All those she came in contact with could see she was a dedicated nurse and mentor with an inexhaustible love for her patients and co-workers. Fashion was also her forte, and she enjoyed helping friends and family look their best. She loved visiting her family’s farm in Chatsworth and spending time hiking, four-wheeling, and swimming in the pond with her beloved dog, Jazzy. Those who knew her attest to her legendary pie-baking abilities, she even achieved recognition as a finalist in the Bucktown Apple Pie Competition.
She was an ambitious young woman and a natural leader with an adventurous spirit, a vibrant person with a zest for life.
Cami Kurtenbach is survived by her parents, Jerry and Susan Kurtenbach; her twin brother and best friend, Kyle; her aunt and uncle, Joan and Cliff Brady; her cousins, Mark, Owen, and Adam; and many other relatives, friends, and co-workers. She was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents.
Visitation, followed by a service, was held on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 611 Randolph St. in Oak Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Unite Our World, 128 Valle Escondido Drive in Durango, Colorado 81303. Unite Our World is a nonprofit organization founded by Cami’s uncle, Glen King and her cousin, Riley. It is dedicated to providing food, medicine, education, and hope to the children of Uganda. More information is available at www.uniteourworld.org.
