Edeth (Edie) Kilpatrick Kitchens-Stohs passed away at home on April 7, 2026, her birthday, in Frisco TX surrounded by family. She was known for her care, compassion, keen intellect, creativity and love of life.
Edie was born to James D. and Rebecca K. (King) Kilpatrick in Brantley, Alabama on April 7, 1941. Her father was a bridge builder in Alabama, and during her early years, the family lived in various towns including Clanton, Maplesville, Centerville, Clio and Brantley. She graduated from Barbour County High School in 1958.
She attended St. Margaret’s Hospital School of Nursing and received her diploma in nursing in 1961. She married J. G. Donner in 1961, and daughter Courtney was born in 1969 and they later divorced.
Edie worked as a staff nurse and teaching faculty member at St. Margaret’s Hospital until 1974 when she accepted a position as clinical instructor at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) until 1978. She received her B.S. in Nursing from UAH in 1976 at which time she was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. She married James H. Kitchens III in 1978. They divorced in 1998.
She moved to Birmingham, working at U of A hospitals while completing her M.S. degree in nursing from U of A-Birmingham (UAB) in 1979, and assumed a faculty position at UAB, teaching master’s and doctoral students in nursing while working toward her doctoral degree. She was an excellent mentor of young nursing faculty members and an excellent teacher of nursing oncology, geriatrics and death and dying.
She received her Ph.D. degree in nursing administration in 1985 from UAB. She held the Anise Sorrell Endowed Chair in Nursing at Troy State University from 1986-1989, at which time she became Dean and Professor of Auburn University School of Nursing, a position she held until 1996.
In 1996, Edie accepted the position of Dean of Nursing at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska, initiating a number of innovative nursing education programs. Throughout her professional life, she was known as a creative, collaborative and forward-thinking educator. She retired from Creighton University Medical Center in 2002. She married Dr. Sid Stohs in 2002 and in 2003 they moved to Frisco Texas where he assumed a position in research and administration.
In Frisco, Edie was active in St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, chairing various committees and writing grants. She enjoyed reading, cooking, traveling and organizing family trips with children and grandchildren. She was a loving, caring and giving mother and grandmother. Through the years Edie and Sid took many cruises and particularly enjoyed river cruises on small ships in Europe. They built memories by taking their three children and spouses and six grandchildren on various cruises and vacations in Alaska, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Mexico, beaches and mountains.
Edie was preceded in death by her parents, and brother Edward and sister-in-law Annette Kilpatrick. She is survived by daughter Courtney Monnette and husband Paul, daughter Sarah (Stohs) Gilmore and husband Don, son Timothy Stohs, and grandchildren Madison Monnette, Wesley Monnette, Daniel Gilmore, Spencer Gilmore, Jack Stohs and Joe Stohs.
A private celebration of Edie’s life will be held at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church-Frisco TX on April 25, 2026 followed by an open reception. Friends and acquaintances are welcome!