Kenny Brady

(From Brenner Mortuary)

Kenneth J. Brady passed away on July 29, 2019 at VIA CHRISTI hospital in Pittsburg, KS following a brief illness.

He was born in Mulberry, KS on March 4, 1939 to Ollie and Frances (Grizzle) Brady. He was a lifetime resident of Pittsburg.

As a young adult in high school, he fought in the Golden Gloves. After high school, he joined the US Marine Corp and received an Honorable discharge thereafter. He married Karen S. Zacarello on August 20, 1965.

He graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1968 with a bachelor of science degree with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. He earned a Lifetime Missouri teacher certification from Missouri Southern State College. He went on to teach math and physics for the Board of Education of the Carthage School District No. R-9 and later for the Unified District #247 Southeast High School where he retired in 2000.







He was preceded in death by his father, Ollie Brady; mother, Frances (Grizzle) Brady; and sister, Johnnie K. Oertle.

He is survived by wife, Karen, daughter, Buffy J. Stevens (Mike) of Opolis, KS, sister, Dorothy Griggs (Mike) of Pittsburg, grandsons, Zachary Francis, Aaron Stevens, Jacob Stevens, great-grandchildren and several beloved nieces and nephews.

When he retired from teaching in 2000, his wife kept a copy of the retirement homage to him delivered by his best Kansas National Education Assoc. friend and teacher bargaining teammate, Janice Kohley. Because that speech captured his personality and nature so well, the family is reprinting it here with a few edits for clarity.

RETIREMENT SPEECH FOR KENNY BRADY

“Well, what does one say about your very best friend?

When Kenny came to work for USD #247 twenty-four years ago, there was no due process, you could be assigned to work nights at ball games and such for no pay (yes, for you young people-we just randomly were assigned night activities throughout the year-you had to do so many dances, it always amused me at how many less sponsors were necessary for dances when sponsors began to be paid). But I digress. The first time I remember anything about Kenny was in 1979 when we were having a particularly difficult bargain and members of the Association were asked to go observe the sessions. I went and remember when that Superintendent started lying-again-Kenny climbing up on that table and going for him only to be pulled back by the Chee-Craw bargaining team. Times were different then. The result of that bargain was the 1979 Chee-Craw court decision that clarified many mandatorily negotiable items-Kenny was there and got that Superintendent in court if not that night at the bargaining table. There has never been a more devoted teacher advocate than Kenny Brady and many of the advantages we enjoy today are because of dedicated people like him.

I once thought about writing a book entitled “ My Travels with Kenny.” It has been an experience. We have been from Washington D.C. to San Francisco on NEA trips. He has taken me many places from sleazy bars to New York City Broadway plays, from Nascar races to art museums, from national parks to jai alai games. I’ve seen Kenny give the last dollar out of his pocket to a homeless person and heard the President of the United States speak-I could go on but one of my most memorable excursions took place because of Kenny but not with Kenny. Picture it-he asked me to pick up a motorcycle part in KC once when I was going. The shop was in a rather questionable area. Ever go to a store that was locked during its business hours? I knocked at the door and someone peeked out. So they let me in and locked the door behind me. Now here I am locked in a motorcycle shop with big hairy guys with tattoos and leather vests with no shirts. They had the part, it cost $40. When I delivered it to Kenny, he complained about the price-I said “Heck, I would have paid any price just to get out of there.”

Kenny is an addict. He can’t pass a bookstore. He has no idea how many books he owns or even where they are all located. It’s not uncommon for him to buy books by the sack full-and seldom does a week go by when books are not purchased. His wife once said that he could never commit a crime because all the police would have to do is wait for him at the nearest bookstore and when he came in, pick him up. Sometimes at home, he sorts these books and finds he has more than one copy. He likes Ducati motorcycles, art, races, sunsets, vagrants, Cuban cigars (unlit), Elijah Craig whiskey, candy, an array of sports (boxing-football-Jayhawks basketball), the ocean, poetry, plays, books on mountain climbing, books on the Civil war, antiques, Bob Dylan, traveling ANYWHERE….and books, books, books. This is not a definitive list by any means.

So whether you hate Kenny or love Kenny (there appears to be no one with a neutral opinion on Kenny) what Southeast will miss is the happy whistling guy that walks the hall. The guy that truly loves those little “dummies.” The guy who rubs your head and calls me frog lips every morning. The lower socio-economic kids are losing an advocate and the whole faculty is losing a friend.

Kenny, we will miss you.”

At your own discretion, donations to a favorite charity organization in lieu of flowers would be appreciated: websites are online,Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)-Anti-Hate organization, Catholic Charities USA-advocates for immigration and refugee policies that protect family unity, Pittsburg Public Library, Wesley House-Pittsburg, Salvation Army-Pittsburg. No services are planned. Arrangements are under the direction of Brenner Mortuary, Pittsburg. KS.