Glen Rock School Nurse Who Learned She Had Cancer While Pregnant Dies, 40

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Glen Rock school nurse and Ridgewood mother of four has died after a battle with cancer.

Kimberly Ann (Ramos) Castelli died peacefully at home on Wednesday, Dec. 10, surrounded by loved ones, according to an obituary published by Vander Plaat Funeral Home.

Kim's had been battling metastatic colon cancer for more than a year, the obituary states. She most recently worked as a school nurse at Alexander Hamilton in Glen Rock, the school's website states.

Kim's family set up a GoFundMe for a scholarship in her name at the Academy of Our Lady in Glen Rock, "a faith-filled community that reflects the values Kim lived every day," Bryan Ramos writes.

"Kim was a woman of deep faith, quiet strength, and extraordinary kindness," the campaign reads. "She had a special heart for children and believed strongly in the power of Catholic education to shape not only minds, but souls. Creating this scholarship is a way to carry forward her spirit of generosity and her commitment to helping others, especially those who need it most."

Born on Staten Island, Kim later moved with her family to Montclair, where she attended St. Cassian School, before continuing her education at St. Catherine of Siena School in Cedar Grove, the obituary states. She graduated from Lacordaire Academy in 2003.

Kim earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing after attending Rutgers University and transferring to Felician College, according to the obituary. She later earned a master’s degree in clinical nurse leadership from Hunter College. Her career included roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone Medical Center, and Glen Rock Public Schools.

She is survived by her husband of 12 years, Brian Castelli, and their four daughters: Olivia Joan, Juliette Elizabeth, Diana Marie, and Catherine Gianna. 

Kim is also survived by her father, Dr. Joseph Ramos, her siblings, extended family members, and friends, the obituary states. She was predeceased by her mother, Joan Morello Ramos, who died in 1991.

Visitation will be held Monday, Dec. 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave. in Wyckoff. A funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. at St. Catharine’s Roman Catholic Church, 905 Maple Ave. in Glen Rock. Entombment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair.

Click here for Kim's complete obituary and here to view the GoFundMe for the scholarship in her name.