Kimberly (Dreyer) Grondin: A Life of Love and Determination

Kimberly (Dreyer) Grondin, 68, of Hampton, NH passed away peacefully in her home on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. She was surrounded by the love of friends and family at that time and during the weeks before her passing.

Kim was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts on January 13, 1957 to Robertine and Charles Dreyer. She was the middle of their three beautiful daughters. Through her father’s career as an airplane calibration specialist for the Air Force, the family lived in many places throughout the U.S.,and kim had many fond memories of the joy and adventures of growing up in places like New jersey,Colorado,puerto Rico and North Dakota. Though they moved often, the family camp in Maine remained constant and was a place of solitude and peace for Kim for her entire life. The Dreyer Family finally settled in North Hampton, and Kim attended North Hampton School and later Winnacunnet High School where she created friendships she carried throughout her life.It is also during this time that she met and fell in love with the love of her life, Kevin Grondin.

Kim was accepted as a nursing student at UNH and when she developed Hodgkins Lymphoma during her Junior year, she fought hard to stay in school, something she did with the help of professors and fellow students. Her decision to keep up her studies despite these challenges was not the norm of the day, and it is this same grit and determination she carried to all aspects of her life which made her truly remarkable. She graduated with her class, being chosen as the speaker of the class and receiving a standing ovation at graduation for her exceptional effort. After that she moved to Pennsylvania to pursue a career at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse. She took on this tough job, treating every child as her own, since her cancer treatments left doctors believing she would be unable to have children of her own. These patients taught Kim so much of what is truly significant in life and their impression on her was lasting. During this decade spent in Pennsylvania she became close to her Pennsylvanian Dreyer family and met more lifelong friends whose love continued to be a source of strength for her to the very end.

After reconnecting with her first love, Kevin, Kim decided to move back to NH in 1989 and the couple married in July of that year. Much to their joy and surprise, Kim was able to have their first child, Leah, in 1990 and their second, Kody, in 1992. Kim was truly meant to be a mother and after retiring from nursing, embraced this role wholeheartedly. Known to be “a mother to many”, Kim was always available to lend a listening ear. She was slow to judgement and gave advice with the wisdom of someone much older. She will always be cherished and remembered for the kind and numerous ways she guided all those around her with love.