Class of: 1984

Karen Cassidy

Karen Cassidy (SON’84) of Louisville, Ky., is founder and executive director of Hildegard House, which provides housing and compassionate end-of-life care for people in need. “We are Kentucky’s first and only comfort care home,” Karen writes. “We have more than 85 volunteers—called compassionate companions—who serve our residents. We don’t charge anything and rely totally on donations and grants.” Previously, Karen was a tenured professor of nursing at University of Louisville and Bellarmine University. Since transitioning to her second career, she was honored with a 2018 AARP Purpose Prize.

From the Summer 2025 issue.