Obituary of Kathryn A. Bryan
Kathryn A. Bryan of Honeoye Falls left for perpetually green pastures on February 17, 2025 at the age of 65 after a 12 year, heroic fight against cancer. Born to Edwin and Barbara Simonsen in Yonkers, NY. Kathy came to Rochester after earning her engineering degree at Union College, applying her considerable analytical skills as a finite element analyst, working on space-borne mirrors for Eastman Kodak. That's where she met her best friend and husband Phil. They were married in the spring of 1985.
Following a short stint as lead college recruiter for Kodak, Kathy and Phil founded and operated a successful company that pioneered digital imaging services for printing and advertising clients across the US.
Later, she worked for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics to help develop a photopheresis system to treat the skin manifestations of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.
She was a proud and loving parent, taking great joy in her children's accomplishments. She freely volunteered to help run their athletic events, transport them to the venue, host the carb-loading party or simply cheering from the stands as they skied, ran, rode or rowed to the finish.
She was a talented and instinctive trainer of horses and an accomplished dressage equestrian. She brought several young horses to high levels of dressage competition. With Winterstern (George), she won the 1996 National Champion 3rd Level Dressage title. Horses were her life-long passion from an early age. She took great pride in her beautiful Hilltop Farm, slowly building and improving every aspect of fields, barns, tractors and her ultimate dream: an indoor riding arena that she enjoyed sharing with her equestrian community.
Kathy leaves behind her husband Phil, daughter Laura (Michael Ellison) Bryan, son Peter Bryan, brothers Chris and Peter Simonsen, sisters Lissen Simonsen and Diane Hammon, parents Ed and Barbara Simonsen, nieces, nephews, extended family and her cherished horse Dexter and dogs Addy and Maggie.
We plan to celebrate Kathy's life in full on her beloved Hilltop Farm in the company of her animals and friends later this year when the grass is green, the sun is shining and the hay is in the barn. Be sure to sign the book so we can stay in touch and share the details as they develop.
To leave a story, a memory, a message of condolence, please visit www.mertonkaysfuneralhome.com In 2013 Kathy was kidnapped by ALK-positive lung cancer. Nobody knows why it happens, and there is no known cure. If you would like to make a difference for others, please consider a donation in Kathy's memory to ALKPOSITIVE.ORG, a patient-driven group directly supporting high-impact research that improves patient outcomes and has the potential to transform ALK-positive lung cancer into a chronic (and maybe someday, cured) condition. Kathy was an active participant in this community. It was a source of comfort, support, knowledge and resources for her and her fellow ALK patients as they each fought their own battle against this disease. To donate, go to: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/alkpositive/ To learn more about ALKPOSITIVE, go to: https://www.alkpositive.org/home
