Kathryn E. Cramer, M.D., WSU associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, died July 16 after battling breast cancer for several years. She was 44.

Dr. Cramer graduated from the WSU School of Medicine in 1986. She joined the Wayne State faculty in 1998 as a clinical specialist in orthopaedic trauma. As a member of University Orthopaedics, she practiced at Detroit Receiving Hospital and Children's Hospital of Michigan until illness forced her retirement in 2003.

"Throughout the Detroit Medical Center, she was known for her boundless energy, her unsurpassed work ethic, her devotion to patient care and, by no means last, her engaging sense of humor," wrote Steven Petersen, M.D., WSU acting chair of orthopaedic surgery in a letter last week to colleagues.

In addition to being an outstanding clinician and educator, Dr. Cramer was an inspirational role model to female medical students -- especially to those considering a career in orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Cramer achieved preeminence in this specialty during an era when female orthopaedists were a rarity.

Dr. Cramer is survived by her brother, sister and two step-children. The family requests that donations in Dr. Cramer's name be made to the Karmanos Cancer Institute or to Hospice of Michigan.