 Mary Melinda Courteol Kasch passed away on May 21, 2012, at the age of 65, surrounded by her family and friends. She battled a 12-month struggle with cancer with fortitude, optimism, dignity and grace. She passed away earlier than anticipated, but with her mind and spirit at peace. Mary was born on February 15, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She began high school at Maine High School in Park Ridge, IL. She transferred to Glenbrook South and became the first graduating class of that school. Mary attended the University of Illinois for two years, where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She continued her studies, and graduated from Tufts University Boston School of Occupational Therapy in 1969. Professionally, Mary was a visionary. For 43 years, she worked as an Occupational Therapist specializing in hand rehabilitation. She had a passion for treating patients with injuries to the upper extremity and was instrumental in building the new profession of hand therapy. She co-founded and was later president of the American Society of Hand Therapists. The last 25 years of her career have been dedicated to the development and advancement of the Certified Hand Therapist credential. She was the first president of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission and has served as its executive director since 2001. She developed several new programs in hand therapy through HTCC. She spoke nationally and internationally as a pioneer in developing the practice of hand therapy. She was honored by inclusion in Who's Who in the United States. She also received special service awards from Professional Examination Service in NY and the American Arthritis Foundation for her volunteer work in her field. She has left a legacy that has not only raised the status of the profession of hand therapy but has resulted in improving the quality of hand therapy for patients throughout the world. Mary had a wide range of interests outside of her professional life. She was passionate about singing from the time she was very young. She was a founding member of the Sacramento Choral Society. She sang with this organization for 12 years and served on its board for more than 10 years. She had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall, Canterbury Cathedral and venues throughout the United States. She enjoyed singing the great choral works of Mozart and other classical composers. She was also in the choir at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Sacramento where she was able to solo in many productions around Sacramento. In years past, she had been an active alumnus of Pi Beta Phi, with the UC Davis chapter. Her hobbies included a lifelong interest in sewing and later machine embroidery. Her creative work was admired by so many and is cherished in the homes of family and friends around the country. Mary had a truly creative and insightful spirit that touched the lives of her colleagues and friends in a unique way. While she was proud of her accomplishments, the most important thing to her was always the individual person, whether that was a colleague, CHT candidate, fellow singer, seamstress, family member or friend. She had a kind and giving spirit that was nurtured by her family upbringing as a Quaker and later in the Episcopal Church. She felt blessed to have the opportunities to be a leader in hand therapy while also being able to work with and learn from other outstanding leaders. She enjoyed a full life of family, professional accomplishments, hobbies and friendship in which she developed a multitude of talents. Mary lived a life of determination, inspiration, humility, grace and love. She will be greatly missed and we will celebrate her life for many years to come. She is survived by her husband John Kasch, her daughter and son-in-law Elizabeth & Cory Peter, her son David Kasch and his fiancé Sarah Lyons, her sister & brother-in-law Ouida & Allen Parker, niece Julie Parker and family, nephew Dan Parker, granddaughter Jordan Peter and grandson Callahan Peter. Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Bernice Courteol. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: The American Hand Therapy Foundation http://www.ahtf.org/Individualgift.htm The Sacramento Choral Society http://sacramentochoral.com/DEPARTMENTS/your_support.html American Friends Service Committee http://www.afsc.org/ Memorial Services are scheduled for 2pm, June 10th, 2012 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 2140 Mission Ave., Carmichael, California.
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