Colby Eagles Alumni Association
Kathleen Donelan Fedack, 1972
International Air Medical Transport Flight Physician 

Nominated by John M. Fedack

  Kathy was born 12 February 1954 to lifelong Colby residents Jay Donelan and Marilyn Donelan. Kathy attended Colby Community College and received her BSN from the University of Colorado School of Nursing. She worked in Denver as a critical care RN and flight nurse. She continued her education at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, followed by a residency in anesthesiology. She obtained her fellowship in Wilderness Medicine from the Wilderness Medical Society. 
  
   During her last year of anesthesia residency she was diagnosed with cancer, underwent surgery and returned to complete her anesthesia residency on schedule. She is a long- term cancer survivor, despite recurrences over the years. 
  
   Kathy unites her passions of remote medicine, aviation and travel through her practice as an anesthesiologist in underserved areas of the Western Pacific. She also is an international air medical transport flight physician. She has lectured and published in the air medical transport community. “Semi-retirement” for Kathy is practicing remote medicine on the tiny atoll of Wake, where her responsibilities entail providing medical care to the military and government contractors on Wake, as well as anyone in need of medical care “on land, air or sea.” Since Wake is isolated by thousands of miles of open Pacific waters, it is not unusual for a submarine to surface or an aircraft to arrive with a medical emergency that requires the services of the Wake Island Physician. 
  
   Kathy married her best friend, John Fedack, in 1987. They are blessed with two sons, Nick and Brett who grew up in the mountains and continue to reside in Colorado. Kathy’s view on life is best summarized by the quote: “Life’s Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, dented and scratched, totally worn out, Shouting “Holy s*#! what a ride!!”

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