Kelsey Renea Bourdon

Kelsey Renea Bourdon (née Beabout), 35, of Elkhart, died on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2025, from a series of rare medical complications after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. In life, Kelsey was a fiercely loving mother, wife, daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend.

Kelsey was born Sept. 5, 1989, at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to Jodi and Perry Beabout. After living in several U.S. states and Slovakia, Kelsey graduated from Concord Community High School in 2008. She went on to study nursing at Hope College. She married Tyler Bourdon of Elkhart, Indiana, on Jan. 25, 2014. In 2019, she earned her Master of Public Health from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kelsey was deeply sensitive and empathetic. She was a follower of Jesus and always did her best to extend kindness and grace. This made her shine in her years as a nurse at Elkhart General Hospital, where she worked in oncology, labor and delivery, the neonatal intensive care unit, and the ambulatory infusion center. After becoming a mother, this empathy and love infused every decision she made in parenthood.

Throughout her life, Kelsey also loved music and dance. She enjoyed taking trips with her family and dreamed of revisiting Slovakia someday with her husband and kids.

Kelsey's life impacted countless people who loved and will miss her. Even in death, she was generous, donating her heart, lungs, pancreas, liver and kidneys. The tragic end to her story has set off an outpouring of love and generosity from her circle of family and friends as well as the larger community of nurses and mothers. She is survived by her children, Theodore (7), Henry (4), and Evelynn (newborn); husband, Tyler; mother, Jodi Beabout; sister, Leandra (Cameron Bradley) Beabout; brother, Ethan (Claire) Beabout; grandparents Ronald (Ronnie) and Joanne Keith of Fenelton, Pennsylvania; father-in-law Joel and mother-in-law Dané Bourdon; sister-in-law Angela (Michael) Hahn; sister-in-law Brynne (Jon) Faloon; brother-in-law Logan (Saige) Bourdon; several nieces and nephews; and a loving community of extended family and dear friends around the world.

Kelsey was preceded in death by her dad, Perry Beabout, her nephew, Hawke Faloon, her grandparents William and Delores Beabout, Dale (Tony) Bourdon, Daniel Logan, and two uncles, Dennis Rodgers and Jeffrey Smith.

In lieu of any flowers friends or family would have wished to send to the church or house, the family asks that donations be made in Kelsey's honor to RETA Pregnancy Clinic & Family Resources, 116 W. Jackson Blvd., Elkhart, IN 46516.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at River Oaks Church, 58020 C.R. 115, Goshen, IN 46528. The service can be viewed online at https://youtube.com/live/PO1CMxnkNhM.