Josephine Marschel Flachmann

Kim will be remembered for her kindness, warmth, and capacity for joy. She had a gift for making people feel valued and taking a sincere interest in their thoughts, accomplishments, and stories. Her kindness touched generations of students, colleagues, friends, and family.

Kim joined what is now California State University, Bakersfield, in 1972, just two years after the campus opened. Over a remarkable 54-year career, she helped shape the university while remaining devoted to the individual students who came through its doors. She developed its remedial English program, led English Support Services in the Tutoring Center, and became a full-time member of the English Department in 1980. In 1986, she was named coordinator of the Writing Program.

She truly believed that learning to write well could change a person’s life, and she worked tirelessly to expand educational opportunities, strengthen support for students, and help transfer students find their footing. Through partnerships with the Kern High School District, local community colleges, and colleagues across the California State University system, she promoted literacy and student success through curriculum development, professional learning, and countless collaborative efforts. She brought genuine care and boundless enthusiasm to every part of this work.

Kim was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Oregon, Kim earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in English. She wrote multiple textbooks, with numerous editions, and countless scholarly articles. Her many honors included the President’s Medal for Academic Leadership from CSUB and the California Association of Teachers of English’s Distinguished Service Award. Yet the heart of her work was always helping others. As she once said, “The best part, for me, is being able to raise the level of literacy in Kern County.”

Dr. Kim Flachmann shared her life and love of education with her husband, Dr. Michael Flachmann, a Shakespeare scholar and fellow CSUB English professor, who preceded her in death in 2013. She continued teaching throughout her life with care, encouragement, and an uncanny ability to make people believe in themselves.

A loving and dedicated mother and grandmother, she is survived by her children, Christopher and Laura; their spouses, Abby Flachmann and Ray Toomey; and her grandchildren, Carter and Bennett Flachmann, and Evan and Scottie Toomey.

Her legacy lives on in her family, in the students she supported, and in the many people who experienced her kindness and generosity.

A memorial service honoring Kim’s life will be held on Friday, November 6, at 2 p.m. at Stockdale Country Club.