Alice Camp Katzung
Alice Camp Katzung died peacefully in her sleep at home in San Rafael on Monday, January 4th. Born Alice Velma Camp on April 27, 1934 in Haverstraw, NY she was the daughter of professional psychologist Blanche Minogue Camp and physician Joseph Lee Camp, MD. She attended Syracuse University, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Masters in Library Science in 1956. She then accepted a job as Medical Librarian at the State University of New York Medical School in Syracuse. There she met medical student Bert Katzung, and it soon became obvious that their future was together. They married in March 1957.
On Bert’s graduation in 1957, he entered his internship at Moffitt Hospital, UCSF, and they moved to San Francisco. Alice became the medical librarian at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland and later served as a founding librarian at Marin General Hospital. Their first child was born in 1960 and they moved into the San Rafael home in Marin County that they have occupied since 1961. A second child followed in 1963. Alice took an active interest in the children’s’ preschool and school careers and followed civic events closely. As an active animal lover and conservationist, she became interested in wildlife rehabilitation and joined the board of the San Rafael Wildlife Center (now Wildcare). Her leadership qualities soon resulted in her election as Executive Director of the Center in 1978 and she served in that role without salary until retiring in 1984. In 1981, she was elected one of the two “Volunteers of the Year” by the Volunteer Bureau of Marin. In 1984, she was honored by KABL Radio as Citizen of the Day. After formal retirement, she continued actively soliciting donations to her favorite animal and conservation groups.
Her love of books generated a library of several thousand volumes in our home, and what seemed like miles of book shelves. Alice was an inveterate traveler and we made trips to Churchill, Manitoba (polar bears), Yosemite in winter (wolves), Alaska (brown bears), Baja (whales) and New England (Fall colors). In addition, Alice made a solo trip to Africa (lions, elephants, hippos, etc.). The entire family spent a one-year sabbatical in Europe, traveling to many countries there. Alice also applied her academic abilities to medical editing and was very active in the production of several medical pharmacology textbooks from 1980 to 2020.
Alice is survived by her husband of 63 years, Bert; daughter Katharine of Phoenix, AZ; son Brian, daughter-in-law Alyn, and granddaughter Kaitlyn of Northbrook, IL. She will be remembered for her brilliant mind, remarkable memory, and sense of humor. She will be missed by all who knew her.
At her request, there will be no funeral or celebration of life. Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice by the Bay, Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary, Wolf Haven, Predator Defense, or San FranciscoMarin Food Bank.