LEWISTON — Katherine J. Brunjes of Bethel after a courageous battle with cancer, passed away peacefully with her family by her side Nov. 1.

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Katherine J. Brunjes

The daughter of Jean and Janet McIntire Brunjes, she was born in Brunswick, March 23, 1953. She graduated from Brunswick High School, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine and a master’s degree in library and informational sciences from the University of South Carolina.

For the past 13 years, Kathy served as the director of Library Services at the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. She was nationally recognized in her field and received the Eleanor Cains Distinguished Medical Librarian Award (2005), was appointed by Governor Baldacci as a Commissioner to the Maine State Library Commission/State of Maine Library Commission (2011), and chaired the Maine Health Sciences Libraries Consortium and the North Atlantic Health Sciences Libraries Board.

Kathy also was an avid equestrian, logging more than 10,000 miles over 40 years, in endurance/competitive trail competitions. Her passion saw her compete nationally and internationally, including representing the U.S. in Spain at the World Equestrian Games (2002), in Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the President’s Cup (2008), and in Malaysia at the World Endurance Championship (2008). Kathy was also involved in the governance of the United States Equine Foundation and the American Endurance Ride Conference.

Kathy is survived by her parents; her husband, Thomas Hutchinson; her son, Brandon Murray, wife, Robin and grandchildren, Jackson and Delia Murray; her sister, Libby Nilson and husband, Tim; her sister, Patricia Goodwin and husband, Stuart; her brother, Jay Brunjes and wife, Kelly Bentley Brunjes; and nieces and nephews, Matthew, Margaret, Byron, Nicolas and Jarod.