Kathleen Anne Brand

Kathleen was born on April 2, 1940 in Belvidere, IL to William (Nelson) and Catherine Dobbins. After Nels returned from years of service during WWII and started attending pharmacy school, Kathleen’s brother Wesley was born.

Kathleen worked in her father’s drugstore O’Brien and Dobbins in adolescence until graduating as salutatorian from Belvidere High School.

Kathleen attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1962. It was there that she met her future husband of 63 years, Howard, and they married the day before their college graduation.

After stints at teaching, and time living in Germany and Missouri for Howard’s Air Force duties, their first son Stephen was born in Missouri in 1967. Shortly thereafter, the couple decided to move to Denver and their second son David was born there in 1970.

Kathleen worked at the main branch of the Denver Public Library in the mid-to-late ‘70s, during which time she received her Master’s degree in Library Sciences from the University of Denver. She then worked in business libraries and the Arapahoe Library system, at the Castlewood and Koelbel Libraries until her retirement in 1998.

Prior to and after retirement, Kathleen volunteered at the Denver Art Museum for over twenty years, embracing her role as a docent.

Kathleen’s faith was very important to her, and Howard and she attended First Plymouth Congregational Church starting in 1976, with decades of choir participation and general church activities.

Kathleen and Howard were also part of the “Dinner Club,” a group of four couples that met for dinner once a month on average for over forty years, forming deep friendships.

Kathie loved to read, loved classical music and singing, and enjoyed attending Colorado Symphony performances and attending plays at the Denver Center Theater Company among others.

With Howard, and by herself, Kathie took many domestic and international trips for music, art and group travel.

She is survived by her husband, Howard; son, David; brother and sister-in-law, Wesley and Pat; and nephews Scott and Zach.

Memorial contributions may be made in Kathie’s name to the Denver Art Museum and First Plymouth Congregational Church Memorial Fund.