Katarzyna Iwona Erickson, M.D. (Dr. Zaremba), 60, of Burlington, passed away Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 at her home following a long illness.
Kasia was very proud of her Polish heritage. She was born in Warsaw, the only child of Wladyslaw and Teresa Kowalczyk. She was a competitive runner and swimmer and did ballet as a child. She was educated at the Warsaw University of Medicine, where she was awarded degrees of Doctor of Pharmacy in 1986 and Doctor of Medicine in 1991. She did her residency in internal medicine at West Suburban Hospital/Loyola University in Chicago from 1995 to 1998. There she worked with Dr. Rama Venu. He suggested that Kasia go to Burlington, telling her “You would really be happy there.” She was.
She joined the Burlington Clinic in 1998 and practiced there and at Burlington Memorial Hospital between 1998 and 2015. She specialized in internal medicine, worked as a hospitalist and was the hospitalist program director. She developed a thriving internal medicine practice. Kasia was loved by her patients, with five-star reviews on after-visit questionnaires. One patient wrote: “Dr. Zaremba is like finding a treasure you’ve searched for so long you didn’t even believe it existed. Her knowledge and ability to convey it to help you is so valuable. You can tell she loves her work. She sets the standard for being a true doctor!”
Her patients cheerfully tolerated longer waiting times caused by her insistence on spending as much time as each patient needed. “I don’t mind because I know she’ll spend that much time with me.”
In the fall of 2015, Kasia joined Beloit Health Care System, where she had a fulfilling practice until complications related to breast cancer forced her to retire.
Kasia married Dr. Lief Erickson on March 7, 2016 and moved with him to their home in the town of Burlington. Her passion for gardening and skill in garden design are evident in the beautiful gardens that surround their home. Every fall and winter, she would research specific plants and perennials, looking forward to that spring’s project of planting another “patch”. It is there that Lief would like to host a memorial service when the gardens are in bloom and her daughter Anna is able to travel from Poland. If you would like to be notified of date and time, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line: KASIA.
Kasia is survived by her loving husband; three children, Anna, a surgical resident in Radom, Poland, Krzysztof, who received a degree from the UW-Madison School of Business and attended medical school there, and Matthew, a student at Madison College; and parents in Warsaw, Poland. As an only child, it was great joy for her to suddenly find herself with five new siblings when she married Lief. She loved her new family passionately and we will miss her. Her huge family of patients has mourned her loss ever since retirement. She has received cards and letters and baked goods up until this week. Kasia was so grateful for all of them.
Schuette-Daniels Funeral Home is serving the family. Well-wishers may visit www.danielsfamilyfuneral.com.
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