Obituary of Katherine P. Madden

Katherine (Kate) P. Madden, 65, of North St. in Geneseo, died unexpectedly on April 10 following complications related to heart surgery. She earned her B.A. in English at Colby College (ME), her Master's degree in Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and her Ph.D. in Speech Communication at Penn State University. Kate was a professor of Communication at SUNY Geneseo from 1990-1994 and a professor in the Communication Department at The College at Brockport, SUNY from 1994 until her retirement in 2011. With a love for journalism, Kate worked as a reporter and editor for many years before deciding to go back to school to become a college professor. She taught a variety of media classes over the years including broadcast production, journalism and media studies courses. She enjoyed studying the influence of the media on our culture and created courses such as Communication Revolutions that examined this issue in-depth. Her love for learning was boundless and infectious; and she enjoyed sharing what she knew through her teaching and mentoring of countless students over the years. She was beloved by her students and left a lasting impression on many even years after graduation. Since the news of her passing, there has been an outpouring of admiration from former students. "She was my most influential professor, and I was honored to continue to know her long after I graduated. I've had a great career in television news for more than 20 years. I will forever be indebted to her for her wisdom, and the faith she had in me," said Susan Moses, a former student at Alleghany College in the 80s. Another former student, Rachel Eagan, who also worked as a teaching assistant for Kate at The College at Brockport, said, "I still have books of hers on my shelf and notes saved from her classes. Learning and working with Kate taught me much, but befriending her was the smartest thing I've done. My time at Brockport is lasting because of her." Still another former student, Brockport alumna Bethany Young, remembered, "Dr. Madden had a sign in her office that read, 'Not all who wander are lost.' I miss her dearly already." Kate was an avid outdoorsperson who played tennis, hiked, and gardened for most of her life. She was active in agility training and competition as well as flyball competitions with her Labrador, Caleb. She enjoyed traveling; two of her most meaningful trips were a trek through then-Soviet Central Asia with Geneseo colleagues and a cross-country driving journey with her dog. And she loved books, which lined the walls of her home to the extent that she lamented "I don't have room for any more; I'll have to get a Nook." Kate is survived by her aunt, Kate Thompson of Salem, OR; cousins Jay (Brenda) Thompson of Albany, OR, Seth Thompson of Seattle, WA, and Susan (widow of Randy) Thompson of Santa Rosa, CA; second cousins Lauren, Leah, Erin, and Seth Thompson; her "adopted" sons Cooper and Connor Creagan; and numerous loving friends across several states. Friends may call Monday, April 23, 2012 from 4-6 p.m. at the Rector-Hicks Funeral Home, 111 Main St. in Geneseo. Memorial Services will be held Monday, April 23, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Presbyterian Church, 31 Center St. in Geneseo. In keeping with Kate's love of books, memorial donations may be made to the Wadsworth Library, 24 Center Street, Geneseo, NY 14454.