Mary K. Verdon

Mary Kathryn (Kihm) Verdon, RN, passed away peacefully during a short hospital stay at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital on Sunday, December 14, surrounded by her beloved children and family members. She was 91 years old.

Mary was a compassionate and devoted mother, friend, retired school nurse for the Newark City School District, prolific community volunteer, and an exceptional tennis player. She lived in Granville, Ohio, from 1973 to 2025.

Born on January 30, 1934, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to the late Otto Jacob and Frances Bee (Sturgess) Kihm, she spent much of her childhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her twin sister Margaret Ann (Kihm) Oman and older brother, the late John B. Kihm, an orthopedic surgeon. Her father owned and operated the Otto J. Kihm Tire Company, headquartered in Kalamazoo, with six locations in western Michigan.

In her early years (and as an adult), Mary was an accomplished tennis player, who, with her twin sister Margaret, placed runner-up in Michigan’s State Junior Finals and won many other invitational tennis tournaments in the region. They were coached by Vic Braden, who gained international notoriety as a touring professional, national broadcaster, and co-founder of the Vic Braden Tennis College. Mary loved the sport throughout her life. As an adult, she played and won numerous tennis tournaments in the Granville and Newark areas.

In 1952, Mary graduated from Central High School in Kalamazoo. She had developed an early interest in nursing. During her first year at Michigan State University, she volunteered at a local hospital and witnessed a childbirth, which she described as “beautiful,” and realized she had a calling for nursing. She enrolled in the Mercy School of Nursing at Detroit’s St. Lawrence Unit in Lansing, Michigan. After graduating in 1956, she began her career at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, working as a staff nurse and head nurse of the hospital’s medical unit.

The Cleveland Clinic’s nurses held a ceremony honoring her extensive nursing career. Asked when she started nursing, Mary said it felt like something she’d been doing since childhood. The ceremony included a video conference call with family and friends who shared very similar thoughts about Mary’s career and life: She lived with grace, compassion, and kindness, and was dedicated to helping others in a quiet, purposeful way.

Family is also key to understanding her life. Mary reflected during her final days that she was born to be a mother. She married the late Thomas Ralph Verdon in 1957 and became mother to four children: Michael, Julie, Daniel, and David. The family lived in Kalamazoo and Holland, Michigan; Annapolis, Maryland; and Clearwater, Florida. In 1973, they moved to Granville, Ohio, where Mary lived until late 2025.

In 1978, she graduated Summa Cum Laude as class Valedictorian from Ohio University with a Bachelor’s in Nursing. Mary was an assistant supervisor of the Newark Health Care Centre. She was awarded a fellowship to study care and treatment of arthritis patients at the Newark Convalescent and Nursing Inn. In 1979, she became a school nurse for Newark City Schools and a tennis coach, working at Kennedy Junior High School and Lincoln Junior High School. She remained a school nurse until her retirement in 1998.

Throughout her career, Mary was an active volunteer, supporting organizations like the Red Cross, Heart Association, and The Arthritis Foundation, where she served as the local chapter president. She was actively involved with the Licking County Cancer Prevention Screening Program, and launched the first blood-pressure check program for parishioners at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Granville, Ohio. After retirement, she became involved with the Saint Vincent de Paul Center in Newark, Ohio, where she conducted home assessments, made weekly meals and assisted with other operations at the center.

Survivors include her children Michael Thomas Verdon (Catherine Norris) of St. Petersburg, Fla., Julie Kihm Verdon (Jeff Balazs) of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Daniel Robert Verdon of Mundelein, Illinois, and David John Verdon (Deirdre Miller) of Yardley, Pennsylvania; grandchildren Madison and Fiona Verdon; Margaret Ann (Nels) Oman of Jackson, Michigan; and nieces and nephews.

A memorial visitation is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, January 2, including a Vigil Service at McPeek Hoekstra Hoskinson Funeral Home, 133 S. Prospect Street, Granville, Ohio.

Her funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. on January 3 at St. Edward the Confessor, 785 Newark-Granville Road, Granville, Ohio, with a lunch provided by the church.

Mary’s ashes will be interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where a summer on-site service will also be held.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the St. Vincent de Paul Center, located at 135 Wilson St., Newark, Ohio 43055.