Karen McBride

1963 - 2016

Karen Kilborn McBride of Colchester, Vermont passed away unexpectedly Tuesday August 2, 2016.

She was born May 19th, 1963 in Newport, VT to Lawrence and Patricia Kilborn. Karen went to North Country Union High School where she excelled in academics, as well as Track & Field for which she still holds a record in the shot put. Karen applied her bright intellect and passionate nature by going to the University of Rhode Island on a sports scholarship. She graduated with a Pharmacy degree in 1986. She then did her residency at Fletcher Allen Hospital in clinical pharmacy before moving to North Carolina to start her pharmacy career at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro. After several years she returned to Vermont to start a family with her husband. They built a home in Colchester and Karen began her distinguished career at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Over the years, Karen advanced to the position of Director of Pharmacy Services where she oversaw more than 300 of her pharmacy colleagues. As the face of her department, Karen took great pride in pushing the hospital's pharmacy forward, always focused on patient care.

Like many great leaders with vision, she surrounded herself with highly capable people, giving them the opportunity to grow into their roles without micro-managing.

Among her many career accomplishments, she was instrumental in adding cutting-edge medication safety technologies as well as developing and implementing the hospital's mail order and specialty pharmacy services.
Karen will be sadly missed by people that knew her well. She was a great Mother and wife, always there for her family no matter the circumstance. Whether it was presents at Christmas time or creative cakes for birthdays, Karen made her children feel special and feel loved. The warmth and tenderness toward her children and the ones she loved made everyone around her better people by simply being in her presence. Karen was also not one to put on a mask and be different person behind the scenes, she was always herself and always honest. Both in her personal and work life, she was never one to back down from supporting people that were trying to do the right thing. Karen was truly a winner in every sense of the word; a true treasure to those privileged enough to know her.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 27 years, David McBride; her two children, daughter Laura of Burlington and son Matthew of Colchester; her father Lawrence Kilborn of Newport; her brother Michael Kilborn and his wife Suzanne of St. Petersburg, FL and sister, Lisa Kilborn Rollins and her husband Peter of Burlington. She also leaves behind a large, loving family of in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins; as well as many friends and co-workers. She was predeceased by her mother Patricia Rushlow Kilborn.

There will be a celebration of Karen's life Monday the 15th of August at 5:00pm at Ira Allen Chapel on the University of Vermont campus.

In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Vermont Society of Health-System Pharmacists to support a scholarship in the memory of Karen McBride.

Arrangements are in the care of the Ready Funeral Home, Burlington. To send online condolences to her family, please visit www.readyfuneral.com.