Kathleen Bradshaw

Kathleen was born on January 16, 1945 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ruth and James Dale (JD) Knowlden. She spent much of her childhood in Salt Lake City before high school, when she moved to Bloomfield Hills with her parents and her two sisters, Suzanne and Kris. Kathleen completed a Bachelor of Art degree from Wayne State University. After college she met Edward Bradshaw. The two married in 1968 and eventually settled in Royal Oak, Michigan, where they raised their two daughters.

Though Kathleen worked in a variety of settings over the years, art was always her passion. She drew and painted throughout her adult life, entered her work in numerous local exhibitions, completed the Master of Fine Art degree from Wayne State University, and taught adult art classes. Her art and her personality mirrored each other; she focused on the beauty in her surroundings and the good in people. She was warm and loving, greeting people with open arms and helping those in need. Her ease with embracing people of all walks of life led naturally to her commitment to equal rights and her involvement in political activism. A fitting tribute to Kathleen would be to engage in an act of kindness or support for human rights.

Kathleen’s artistic talents were as evident at home as they were in the studio. She was a creative and talented seamstress, cook, and decorator. She enjoyed trying new recipes for family and friends, and holiday celebrations at her home were lovely and special in every detail. She was easy-going, optimistic, and always willing to try new endeavors, most recently learning to play golf and becoming an avid swimmer.

Kathleen deeply loved and cared for her family and friends. Her heart was always with her husband, Ed (d. 2023), her daughters Heather (Erickson) and Courtney, Heather’s husband Marty, and her three beloved granddaughters: Chloe and Paige Erickson and Eden Becker. She was close with her two sisters, Suzanne Neal and Kris Bozek, their families, as well as much of Ed’s extended family.

No memorial services are planned at this time. If you would like to honor Kathleen’s memory with a charitable contribution, please consider a donation in her name to one of the following organizations:

The Detroit Institute of Arts

The Michigan Audubon Society

Detroit Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

National Public Radio