Donna Kass, health advocate, dies at 86

Donna Kass, a prominent health care advocate and former physical therapist, died Monday of lung cancer at her home in Great Neck. She was 86.

Her son, Elliot Kass, of Milford, Conn., said Kass believed it was "an undeniable right to have access to decent health care regardless of financial status." Kass helped found and served as president of the Long Island Coalition for a National Health Plan.

A refugee from the Nazis during World War II, Kass "didn't have the patience for the trivial aspects of life," her son said, adding, "She was concerned about making the planet a better place for people."

Rosemarie Guercia, who met her about 20 years ago and worked with her at the coalition, recalled her persistence and sense of humor, calling her a "very dynamic lady." Her friends have been reflecting on "her passion for improving health care and the energy that she had in pursuing that," she said.

Born Donna Sheiman in Warsaw, Poland, in 1925, she came to the United States in 1941 at the age of 15. Her family lived in Utica, where she graduated from high school.

She attended Keuka College in upstate Keuka Park for a year before transferring to Columbia University in the mid-'40s. Although she had dreams of becoming a doctor, her son said because that was an "unusual" career path for a woman, she decided to go into physical therapy. After graduating from college, she trained with an orthopedist.

She married Bernard Kass in 1949 and the couple lived in Manhattan and Jackson Heights before moving to Great Neck in 1955.

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At Long Island Jewish Medical Center, she worked her way up to become chief of physical therapy and headed the hospital's geriatric care. She retired in the late '80s.

She was appointed a special adviser to the New York governor's office on health care matters and also served on the Nassau County board of health.

Her son described her as an avid reader and a fan of the arts -- theater, ballet and classical music. "She had a huge circle of friends across Long Island and in Great Neck in particular," he said.

In addition to her husband, and son Elliot, survivors include son Steven Kass, of St. Paul, Minn., and three granddaughters.

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In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Doctors Without Borders at doctorswithoutborders.org or P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741; or to a charity of the giver's choice.