Kathleen "Kate" Gail Musallam

Kathleen "Kate" Gail Musallam, a devoted wife, mother, nurse, and woman of faith, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2025. Born on February 14, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington, to Willard E. Haynes and Violet M. Haynes, Kate moved with her family to Texas in 1949.

From an early age, Kate dreamed of becoming a nurse and pursued this passion with determination. She earned her nursing diploma from St. Joseph School of Nursing in Ft. Worth, Texas, followed by a BSN and MSN from Catholic University. Balancing her education with raising two daughters and volunteering for community organizations, she exemplified dedication and resilience.

Kate's nursing career spanned an extraordinary 57 years, much of it in leadership roles. Her husband's career led the family across the globe, including time in Okinawa and Mannheim, Germany, where Kate taught first aid and parenting classes for the Red Cross and volunteered as a camp nurse. In 1982, she began what she described as the most rewarding chapter of her career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), serving as a Nurse Manager for units under the National Institute of Mental Health and Aging Research. Her exceptional contributions earned her accolades such as the Distinguished Nurse Award in 1997 and recognition from the NIH Speaker's Bureau in 2000. Additionally, she served on the NIH Disaster Medical Assistance Team from 1986 to 1993.

Outside her profession, Kate was a talented musician who played multiple instruments and marched in the 1959 Cotton Bowl parade. She was also an accomplished seamstress and gardener who created cherished handmade items and could grow anything-even potatoes on her balcony! Ever active, she began running half marathons in her forties, learned golf in her fifties, skiing in her sixties, and mastered corn hole in her seventies. One of her greatest joys was spending time at her vacation home in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains with family and "grand dogs," finding peace in nature guided by her deep faith.

Kate's humor and compassion brought light to all who knew her. She is survived by her beloved husband Hikmat "Mat" Musallam; eldest daughter Sara Moore; son-in-law Dennis Moore; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She is reunited in Heaven with her youngest daughter Dina Musallam.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Virginia German Shepherd Rescue (www.vgsr.org), an organization close to Kate's heart through fostering and rescuing dogs alongside her daughter.

May Kate's memory bring comfort to all who knew and loved her.