SALEM- Kimberly Ann Colvin died unexpectedly on April 30th, 2021, of natural causes, not related to Covid-19. She was 57. Kim was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts and graduated from Salem High School in 1982. It wasn't long afterward that she found her professional calling as a teaching assistant at the Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown. During a 33-year career there, she changed the lives of hundreds of students with profound special needs, acting as an educator, advocate, and friend. She was deeply loved by her students and their families, and embodied a true sense of service and dedication in her work until the day she died.
Her love for her students was surpassed only by her deep devotion to her daughter, Sarah Duffy, who was her pride and her light. Kim lived to love her and care for her. Whether nurturing Sarah's talent for singing and reveling in performances, or sharing confidences and laughs, Kim and Sarah took on the world together. Their connection was like no other and no matter what, they always had each other.
Kim dearly loved music of all kinds, and a live performance by one of her favorites, such as Sarah McLachlan, the B-52s, or Whitehorse, was her heaven on earth. Sundays with the Patriots were a similarly religious experience. She also had a deep and abiding commitment to social justice, fairness and equality for all. An ardent Bernie Sanders supporter, Kim was always a staunch defender of the underprivileged, the powerless, and the oppressed. She was an out-and-proud bisexual, and held a special place in her heart for her friend and former girlfriend, Vicki Weatherford, from whom she always regretted parting.
She leaves a heartbroken family; along with her daughter, Sarah Duffy, her mother, Priscilla, and sisters, Christine (Christopher) Casper and Gwen (Neil) Carlill. She joins her beloved Dad, Norman, on the soul plane. She also leaves gutted a large extended family, her colleagues at Perkins, the Salem Willows community, who knew her as “Bimpy,” and many, many dear friends. Really, the whole world will miss her spirit, because everyone she met, even strangers in line at the grocery store, was greeted as a friend by Kim, with the same crinkly, sparkly-eyed, gap-toothed smile and wide-open heart. She knew an endless amount of people and she was deeply loved by every single person that had the privilege of meeting her.
ARRANGEMENTS. A private celebration of Kim’s life will be held Saturday, May 22nd, 2021. Please check Facebook for details about how to attend the service virtually. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 84 Washington Sq., (at Salem Common) Salem. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that you donate to at EWRAP chargesyndrome.org and show kindness to others in her honor. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.
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