Kate Burford

Kate was born March 2, 1994 and grew up in Gahanna, OH. She is preceded in death by her brother, Matthew Burford, and her paternal grandparents, William Burford and Lois Burford. She is survived by her parents, Brian and Karen Burford, her maternal grandparents, Donald and Patricia Davis, and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Kate attended St. Matthew School and Oakstone Academy for elementary and middle school. She graduated in 2012 from Bishop Hartley High School and in 2016 from Ohio University, Athens, where she excelled as a student.

A dedicated and talented writer, Kate wrote every single day since she was in middle school. Her favorite creative writing type was sci-fi fan fiction, and she was a compelling writer in many genres. She kept funny and heartfelt diary and school journal entries from early elementary school that she loved to look through, read aloud, and laugh at as an adult. She was also a thorough and insightful editor.

Kate gave countless hours volunteering as a developer for the Organization for Transformative Works, as well as submitting and editing content on a regular basis. She was an open source contributor with GitHub and was working toward making a career as a full-stack software engineer. She had additional experience as a web design programmer and could build a computer from scratch.

As a child, Kate participated in figure skating, especially synchronized skating. She was a gifted artist with a unique perspective and loved to take art classes. All her life she was an avid reader and a lover of cats, especially Fantine and Inky, her beloved pets. She also enjoyed playing Final Fantasy XVI and cherished the friends in her gaming group.

Kate was a bright, smart, and sensitive woman who struggled with Attention Deficit Disorder and mental health since childhood. She was very recently diagnosed with Autism. Her mental health was a particular challenge since the COVID lockdown in 2020, but for the past year, she had been doing an admirable job of seeking medical attention and improving both her physical and mental health. Tragically, she decided to take her own life. While her family is devastated, deeply grieving her loss, and in particular the manner of her death, we choose to focus on how much we loved Kate, and how much love she brought into the world. We trust that through her baptism and God’s infinite grace, she is with Him.

A memorial service for Kate will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, at Schoedinger Northeast Funeral Home, 1051 E Johnstown Road, Gahanna, OH 43230, beginning at 2:00pm. Visitation and a luncheon will follow from 3-5pm.

In lieu of flowers, family appreciates a donation to the charity of your choice.