Kathryn A. Pingel

Kathryn Ann “Kate” Knop Pingel, 71, passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2024, surrounded by her loving family at the Kavanagh House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Visitation will be from 10 - 11 AM, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel, with funeral services to follow.

Born in Des Moines on January 21, 1953, Kate was a vibrant and energetic child, keeping her parents, Helen and Craig, constantly engaged. She excelled in ballet, tap dancing, and gymnastics, and joined the Campfire Girls, where her interest in cooking and geology blossomed. Kate enjoyed swimming like her father and enthusiastically embraced her role as a big sister, even planning birthday parties for her little sister "Stormy" while still in junior high. At Hoover High School in Des Moines, Kate competed on the swim team (Go Huskies!) and won a spot as a baton twirler with the marching band, much to the terror of her parents, who envisioned major hospital bills in her future.

Though initially unhappy about her family’s move to Rockwell City, Iowa, during her senior year, Kate found new friends and a couple of boyfriends, graduating in 1971. Kate entered the University of Iowa that same year, joining the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and committing herself to becoming a nurse. Despite a grueling schedule of science, math, and clinical classes, her hard work paid off. She was accepted into the prestigious nursing program and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After passing her boards, Kate became a registered nurse and was thrilled to land her first job at a hospital in Denver, Colorado. This marked the beginning of a lifetime dedicated to healing others, both physically and emotionally. Known for her nursing skills, empathy, and ability to bring joy to others, Kate was a beloved figure among cancer patients in Denver. Her whimsical approach, including dressing as a fairy and doing rounds on roller skates, would be frowned upon today but undoubtedly brought smiles to many faces. During her time in Denver, Kate developed a love for skiing, the mountains, and the bears that live in them.

After her time in Denver, Kate returned to Iowa to help her mother care for her grandmother. Working in nursing homes and public health, she honed her skills as an advocate for her patients, always going the extra mile to ensure their safety and well-being. Moving to Des Moines, Kate took a position at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, where she became a favorite among the veterans she cared for. This experience led to a new role as a Clinical Nursing Instructor at Grand View College, where she was known for being demanding but fair. Her hands-on teaching style allowed her students to gain the practical experience needed for demanding hospital settings, and she became a lifelong mentor to many. At an art festival in Des Moines, Kate met her “golden boy” and future husband, G. Brian Pingel, a successful intellectual property lawyer. They fell in love and were married in 1984, with a life-sized “Care Bear” as a witness—a highlight for her father. Kate gave up her nursing career to care for her family, raising three rambunctious boys. But as they say, once a nurse, always a nurse. Kate continued to heal bodies and minds, caring for her mother, who lived eight years beyond a six-month prognosis, and her mother-in-law, who lived to the age of 103. She even used her nursing skills to reverse a friend’s mother’s infection against all odds.

As a mother, Kate was always dedicated to encouraging her children to not just meet expectations, but exceed them. You would often find her working long nights together with her children on creating wildly imaginative projects and costumes for school. Or cheering on her sons as they competed in sports, arts, and music. Often, her high expectations were paired with tough love, such as her needing to find ever more clever places to hide Nintendo controllers when her boys were falling behind on their homework. It is no secret that the success her sons have found in adulthood is due to the work ethic and life lessons she instilled in them through her endless giving of care and love.

Kate was not only a dedicated nurse and mother but also a fierce advocate and protector of her friends and loved ones. She was an avid school volunteer, fighting for the rights of all children to have access to talented and gifted programs, and worked with other parents to ensure teachers had the resources needed to excel. Recognized for her volunteer work by the State of Iowa, she was a warrior in ensuring her sons flourished the programs she fought for. Her love for her family was fierce and unwavering. Kate’s friends will remember her for her curiosity, free spirit, and unselfish nature. She put everyone’s needs above her own and treated their children as family.

As her own children moved on to college and careers, she celebrated their accomplishments while continuing to learn new skills, like culinary techniques from the Test Kitchen. She celebrated every holiday and season with decorated trees and bears, always raising the bar for everyone else. Facing cancer with courage, Kate found immense joy in the birth of her grandchildren. She was thrilled by the arrival of Riley Kathryn, teaching her to make cookies and rolling down hills together. With the birth of Oliver, she relished in rolling on the bed with him. Kate was fearless, compassionate, loving, and a child at heart, and she will be dearly missed.

Kathryn was preceded in death by her parents H. Craig and Helen Haub Knop from Rockwell City, Iowa. She is survived by her husband, G. Brian Pingel; and their three sons, Bradley, currently residing in Houston, Texas; Greg (Maria) and her two grandchildren, Riley and Oliver, currently residing in Norwalk; and Chris (Kaide), currently residing in Ames, Iowa. She is also survived by her sister, Maureen “Stormy” (Phil) Wright-Osment, from Columbia, Missouri, and her nephew Nick, currently residing in Sydney, Australia.

Gifts made in memory of Kathryn Pingel can be made to UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Foundation Volunteer Services, 1415 Woodland Ave, Ste E-200, Des Moines, IA 50309. The proceeds will go to support the Animal Assisted Therapy Program and the many volunteers who give unselfishly to support those who have or care for those with cancer.