Kimberley J. Gambrell

Kimberley Joye, the daughter of William (Bill) and Doris Holt, was born December 9, 1955 at the Marine Core Air station in Santa Anna, California. She was the eldest of three children. At the age of one, her parents moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she resided until her unexpected departure from this life on April 7, 2026. She was preceded in death by her father, William Holt, her fiancé, William (Will) Robins, her daughter-in-law, Brittani Harris-Tate. Kimberley, fervently known as Kim, attended elementary school at Mary E. Rodman. She continued her middle school years at William H. Lemmell and later graduated from Northwestern High school, where she was one of the school's first graduates. After graduation, Kim wanted to work for the government and took the Civil Service test in the spring of 1973. She passed the test but had to wait until she turned 18, starting her new job on her birthday. While working at Social Security, she met Curtis Barber who she fell in love with, married, and had her oldest and only daughter, Tamarah (Tami). Later, Kim and Rodney Tate had her son, Ryan. Years later, Ronald Ray Sr. and Kim had Ronald (Beep), the youngest child. Ronald Sr. and Kim raised the three children in Cherry Hill. After serving as a government employee for over ten years, Kim decided to change careers and pursue work in the medical field. She became employed at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) where she received training to become a certified medical technician. She continued to train and earned additional certifications, using her new skills and love for service to help support pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. She served the medical community at JHH for more than 30 years. She was recognized as an exemplary employee, earning numerous awards and recognition. During this time, she also worked at the University of Maryland in the same capacity. Kim met Will following her divorce from Reginald Gambrell and were partners for several years, culminating in an engagement in 2017. Kim continued to work in healthcare, retiring from Johns Hopkins in 2024. However, she still had a heart for service. She became an in-home caregiver to the Barham's, providing care to their daughter Ericka for the last two years. She immensely enjoyed her time at their home, which she often noted added great joy to her life; and they loved her too. Kim was F-U-N-loving, enjoyed watching sports, and loved to dance. She was also the host and photographer for many family events, which included a Mother's Day cookout, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving gatherings. Many of which, she either invited friends and co-workers or made them plates to take to work the following day. It's not surprising, Kim was loved deeply by family and friends. At an early age, Kim was baptized at Friendship Baptist Church under Pastor Matthew McCoy. She was active in numerous youth activities. As an adult, she joined Zion Baptist Church under Pastor Marshall F. Prentice. Kim is survived by her mother, Doris Edmonds Holt; two brothers, Keenan (Melissa) and Kraig (Marisa); children, Tamarah (Rodney), Ryan, and Ronald Jr. She is also survived by grandchildren, Malik, Ebonie, Kala, Rykem, Rylen, Ryann, and Rymier; cousin Jeanie (Steve), who are more like a sister and a brother, and a host of nieces, cousins, family, and friends.

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Kimberley J. Gambrell

December 9, 1955 - April 7, 2026