Katherine Anne Bradfield
April 14, 1969 ~ April 13, 2020
Katherine Anne Bradfield, 50, Fairmount Lecturer, Department of Philosophy at Wichita State University, died Monday, April 13, 2020. Services will be held at a later date at Garnand Funeral Home, Garden City, KS. Preceded in death by her aunts, LeAnn Bradfield, Sharon Bradfield. Survived by her father, Larry Bradfield (Holly) of Sherwood, AR; mother, Nancy Bennett (Jim) of Freetown, IN; brother, Sean Bradfield of Phoenix, AZ; aunts, Lori Hopkins (George), Carol Kitch; uncle, Greg Bradfield (Melissa); many cousins and countless friends. Katherine was born April 14, 1969, in Garden City, KS. She earned her Bachelors Degree from Wichita State University, attended MIT, and received her Masters Degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She was a voracious reader, played the flute and recorder, and enjoyed writing poetry and essays, taking photographs, and making jewelry. She loved teaching, especially those moments when her students eyes would light up or their voices would brighten and she knew they were “getting it.” She enjoyed nearly as much those times when her students laughed at her sometimes good but often lame jokes in the classroom. Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel.
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In memory of Katherine Anne Bradfield, Carol Dennett Kitch lit a candle
Kathy was one of the smartest, funniest, kindest people I’ve known. Such a great storyteller and a true friend. I miss her terribly and I can’t believe she’s gone.
We will miss you immensely, Kathy.
You were one of a kind, and it was a punch to the gut to hear the news of your passing.
I met Kathy when we were undergraduates and got to know her better on my return visits to WSU. She was a great asset to the department and will be missed by all who knew her.
I have not seen Kathy in decades, and I am deeply sorry, and I regret that I will not have the chance to see her again. There was a sharpness of mind and craftiness of spirit that impressed anyone who had the privilege to spend an evening with her. I learned so much from Kathy and I am sorry for the world that no longer has her in it.
Kathy was a college friend during our time at WSU. We shared a lot of time together with mutual friends watching Monty Python in the old Brennan lounge. Not to mention our infamous trip to the Magnolia Cafe. I lost track of Kathy sometime in graduate school. Wish we had had a chance to catch up. She will be sorely missed. John
Kathy was my colleague at Wichita State University, and it is hard to accept that I will never see her again. She was brilliant, insightful, witty, and talented. She had a way of saying just the right thing, in a few words or phrases, to crystallize a diffuse conversation. Her laugh could be infectious, though too often it was in spite of unfair hardships she was facing. She was fun to talk to – and always had an interesting take on things. I had been looking forward to talking to her again. Her absence in the department will be very hard to bear. Kathy was modest about her talents. She was a gifted musician. I remember how really lovely it was to hear her practice the flute behind her closed office door, though she (needlessly) worried it might bother others. Though she never mentioned it to me, I eventually learned she was a published philosopher, as I saw her papers cited with praise. She was exceptionally thoughtful about teaching and her dedication to her students was truly an inspiration. Her untimely death seems so unfair, to so many.
It has been a week since I heard the terrible news and my mind is still full of memories of Kathy. She is such a good friend to me and to my whole family. We will remember her forever.
Despite only having one class with her, Kathy was one of the most influential teachers I’ve ever had in my life. I will carry on what she has taught me on and off campus, and I’ll never forget what she’s shared with me in both the classroom and at the dinner parties we’ve had together at my parents’ house.
Kathy was part of my trio at Brennan in 1988, my first year at University. Many nights watching British TV in the lounge, As well as hanging out in the dorm room laughing, making music, and talking deep thoughts. I’ve often thought of her over the years, it saddens me greatly to hear of her passing. May her memory be a blessing.
Sorry to hear about your loss. Kathy was a beautiful person. I enjoyed our many conversations. My prayers for peace and comfort go out to her family WSU Student worker Andrea
My condolences for your family. Although I did not know her very long, Kathy was always a friendly face on campus and I truly enjoyed getting to know her. The last thing I said to her was that I hoped she stayed safe and that I would see her after spring break. I truly hoped that after quarantine I would one day see her and we could joke together again. I will always remember her kindness and I will greatly miss seeing her on campus.
Kathy was a friend through many years of middle and high school back in Emporia. I remember sitting on the front porch of her house with a thunderstorm rolling past while she would practice her flute. While we wound up taking very different paths, only reconnecting briefly, early in our college careers, she remains one of the most insightful and delightful women I’d ever had the honor of knowing. Finding that she had passed away comes as such a shock. I’ll go trough my old photo albums, as I know I have some of her from those times should the family be interested. My deepest sympathies to all those who knew her.
She was the best of us. I was a philosophy undergraduate at Wichita State University until I graduated in 1994 and there was a wonderful group of smart students who would hang out in the Fiske Hall philosophy lounge and discuss philosophy. Kathy was the best of the group. You might think my opinion is biased because we dated for a while, but I assure you that anyone who remembers Kathy’s essay on Donald Davidson at the APA meeting in Missouri will remember her opponent saying that she was “technically correct” about the most difficult philosopher in the Analytic Tradition. Katherine Bradfield was the brightest young philosopher I knew and I will miss her dearly.
Please accept our deepest condolences for your family’s loss.