Kathryn MaRous, LPN, Director of Nursing at Morning Pointe of Brentwood, Tennessee, never could have anticipated all the turns that her life has taken. Starting as a Broker in Chicago, she has also been a Homeschooling Mom, a Singer, a Pageant winner, a Floor Nurse and an Alzheimer’s Educator.
Trader and Singer
“Singing has always been a passion of mine and a source of peace and enjoyment,” Kathryn shared.
In her high school years, Kathryn played the lead in her school’s musicals, as well as those of another nearby high school.
Kathryn attended Loyola University in Chicago and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration. In 1982, she met her husband, Larry, who was a Commodities Broker with a brokerage firm at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They married, and she helped Larry run their small firm, Shepard Trading Company.
“While I was there, I became a Broker myself and traded in the S&P pit with what I like to call the ‘Big Boys,’” Kathryn said. “It is a difficult market as it moves quickly, and each tick is a $25 move for each contract. It gave me great experience, and I learned a great deal.”
Her biggest gain in a day was $10,000, but she also considered that scary since she knew that it was just as easy to lose that much and more.
Kathryn and Larry had five children: Lonni, Kristin, Michael, David, and Daniel.
At age 26, Kathryn found herself faced with a challenge she never expected. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and the illness took a toll on her vocal chords.
“I had a wonderful surgeon, and it was by sheer miracle that I am able to sing and to talk,” Kathryn said.
While her children were growing up, Kathryn homeschooled them. At the same time, she ran into Christian Evangelist and Speaker Josh McDowell with Campus Crusade for Christ. He heard Kathryn sing and asked her to become his featured singer for family conferences. She did so for two years.
“It was a thrilling experience, and I truly enjoyed sharing my faith and love for music with literally thousands of people,” Kathryn said. “Then, when Pat Robertson was running for President, I was asked to be his featured singer.”
At one of Pat Robertson’s fundraisers in Chicago, Kathryn met Mike McCaskey, part owner of the Chicago Bears football team, and he asked her to sing the National Anthem at a Bears game. “Singing for the Bears was a thrilling experience mostly because my dad was a huge fun and was so excited that I was on TV,” said Kathryn.
Nursing, Pageants and Alzheimer’s Education
Unfortunately, Kathryn’s fourth child, David, had a rare illness, histiocytosis X, and was hospitalized for a year. He sadly lost his battle in 1996. The experience left a deep impression on Kathryn.
“I spent a lot of time seeing the Nurses helping these children battling terrible illnesses,” said Kathryn. “I saw the dedication and realized that [nursing] is a career where you can truly help people and make a difference. I decided to go back to school for my nursing degree.”
After graduating from nursing school, Kathryn started working as a Floor Nurse for a senior living center in Illinois.
“The Nursing Director took me under her wing,” Kathryn shared. “I sat in her office every day after work, and she taught me her job and all the experience she had gained over the years. She was a 30-year nurse, an angel really who volunteered after work in the poor neighborhoods of Chicago to help the poor who could not afford healthcare.”
Two years later, Kathryn had the chance to open up a new memory care unit in her home town of Park Ridge, Illinois. There, she was named one of Illinois’ Top Nurses for 2017-2018. She has also worked as a Nurse in assisted living and mental health facilities.
In 2018, Kathryn was asked to try out for the Ms. America Nation pageant, and she was impressed with its emphasis on charity work. She won the Ms. Illinois 2018 competition with the platform of Alzheimer’s awareness. Alzheimer’s is a cause close to her heart both due to her profession and because her mother battled the disease.
“I was able to work with the Alzheimer’s Association and teach about the effects of this disease, as well as how to cope and deal with loved ones with Alzheimer’s,” Kathryn shared.
But that wasn’t all. Her pharmacist in Orland Park, Illinois, happened to ask her one day what she did for a living. After he found out, he asked if she would be interested in starting an Alzheimer’s awareness task force team. Kathryn served on the task force from 2018-2022.
“We were able to train police, firemen, local businesses and restaurants and certify them so that they could be prepared for families to bring their loved ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia to their businesses,” Kathryn said. “It was a great cause and truly helped families dealing with this terrible disease.”
Morning Pointe
Kathryn, who had lived in Tennessee from 1999-2012, moved back to the Volunteer State after her mother’s passing in 2022. She took a travel job for a while in Washington state and started writing a book about her experiences. She is still working on that.
In May 2023, Kathryn accepted the position of Director of Nursing at Morning Pointe of Brentwood, Tennessee. The campus includes both Assisted Living and Memory Care services. Kathryn was drawn there by her positive interactions with the staff, especially the Executive Director, Lisa Melby.
“It has been such a wonderful journey,” Kathryn said about her career. “I am truly blessed to have landed here at Morning Pointe with this fantastic team of directors and such wonderful residents and their families.”
Thank you, Kathryn, for bringing your passion for serving seniors to our community!
