Kimberly Dearborn-Brickman was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, eight months after the birth of her second son. She first went through chemotherapy, then surgery and finally taxol and radiation to remedy her situation. Things were fine until a routine pre-surgery check-up had revealed that the cancer returned and spread to her lymph nodes and lungs and had metastasized.
Kim died on October 30, 2004 of metastatic breast cancer at the age of 38. She is survived by, among many others, two beautiful sons Jacob (age 5) and Jonathon (age 3).
One of Kim's loves in life was the love of music. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Education from Baldwin-Wallace College and a Master of Fine Arts in Music Education from Bowling Green State University. She began her teaching career in Lorain and then taught at Thoreau Park in Parma, Ohio. In 1990, she taught at North Royalton High School and Middle School, where she directed several choirs including Royal Harmony Show Choir, Concert Choir, Girls Chorus, 8th grade Choir, 8th grade Show Choir (all which flourished under her direction) and was the vocal music director for spring musicals. Kim sang in the Cleveland Opera Chorus under the direction of David Bamberger and performed with a quartet at St. John's Cathedral in Cleveland. She was also a member of Ohio Music Educator's Association.
Kim's love for music aside, nothing paralleled the love she had for her two boys Jake and Jon. Even while suffering with this terrible disease, Kim's focus shifted from herself to that of the young lives of her two boys. Her dying wish was to see that her sons had every opportunity at a top notch college education. Thus, Kim's parents, Mary and Dick, and sisters, Keri and Kristin, created Kim's Krusaders to provide Jake and Jon with a quality college education.
Since her passing, Kim's legacy lives on as the North Royalton School District has dedicated the music education suite in her honor.