Katherine Nancy Rittner of Northampton, MA passed away on Sunday October 20, 2024 at the age of 41, after losing a long battle with depression. She was born June 16, 1983 in St Louis, MO.

As early as 8th grade, she announced her intention to follow in her mother's footsteps and be a physician. Applying her high intelligence and strong academic dedication, she accomplished her goal. She graduated from Hampshire Regional High School in 2001, attended Colby College in Waterville, ME, graduating with high academic honors in 2005 and was accepted to the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, Worcester, MA which she graduated from in 2010. Her "med-peds" residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA was completed in four years and she became board certified in both Pediatrics and Internal Medicine.

While living in a social world would be a lifelong struggle, she thrived in the world of primary care. She loved helping people and her patients very much appreciated the extra interest she showed in them. Over her career she served Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska, as well as Indigenous people in Australia. She also served at a Christian clinic on the coast of Honduras. In the last several years she worked in clinics in Colorado and South Carolina, this latter also involving teaching new residents. Her last position was at the Federal Prison Hospital, Devens, MA

In addition to medicine, travel was one of her passions. She accomplished her goal of doing some type of activity in each of the 50 states. She visited England, continental Europe, Africa, Central America, Australia and India.

Other passions were chocolate, in almost any form, ice cream, ballet and of course being outdoors.

She will be dearly missed by many friends and her parents, Virginia and David Rittner, of South Hadley, MA

A Celebration of Life will be held at College Church, 58 Pomeroy Terrace, Northampton, MA on Saturday, November 23 at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers donations, in Kathy's memory, may be made to the Trustees of Reservations, 200 High St, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, or National Parks Conservation Association, 777 6th St, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001