Kathleen Hadley

Kathleen D. Hadley, age 72, died on August 10, 2021 from pancreatic cancer at home in Elkton, MD, surrounded by love. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Bruce, her beloved daughter, Erin, her dearest son-in-law, Jonathan, and her greatest joy, her grandson Evan. She is also deeply missed by her treasured siblings and their spouses (John and Susan Deeney, Maryanne and Bruce Kauffman, Joseph Deeney, and Megan Deeney and Thomas Pratt), loving mother-, sister-, and brother-in-law (Dolores Hadley and Jan and Jimmy Leary), delightful nieces and nephews, hilarious and warm-hearted cousins, and so, so many friends.

Kathy was born on December 21, 1948 in Philadelphia to Joseph and Catherine Deeney, and was a proud graduate of Archbishop Prendergast High School and Pennsylvania State University, where she and Bruce met. After graduating with degrees in Spanish and Portuguese, she shared her love of languages as a teacher in North Carolina and Delaware high schools. When Erin began kindergarten, Kathleen made a career change and enrolled in Widener’s Delaware Law School. In 1988 she joined the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, where she would spend her entire legal career as a passionate plaintiff’s attorney and mentor to many.

After she retired, Kathy became deeply involved in volunteer work. She and her friend Sally spent Monday mornings delivering food for Meals on Wheels in Newark, DE, and she devoted afternoon hours to assisting with immigration services at the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, DE. She volunteered for the 2016 presidential campaign to get out the Democratic vote in Pennsylvania and rallied her Maryland community to participate in local elections. For 12 years, Kathy also taught English as a second language to a group of adult learners whom she loved very much. She was honored to be part of their lives, and hosting them for a party at her home was a highlight of 2021. Siempre estarás en su corazón.

Among all of these cherished experiences, Kathy would say that the best part of her retirement was spending time with her grandson, Evan. In their 10 years together, they traveled to Ireland, Portugal, Canada, and across the United States by train. They shared countless walks, dinners, and matinees at the theater, and always great conversation. He, like all of us, was so enriched by her love.

Kathy was, at her core, a good friend. Whether it was at her annual cousins party on the river, the yearly beach weekend trip she organized, or a lunch date with girlfriends, she made people feel loved and accepted. When she was diagnosed with cancer in December 2019, she felt that love return tenfold. Shared meals and visits transitioned to zoom calls when the pandemic hit, but she was grateful that technology allowed her to be virtually connected with loved ones more than ever.

To know her was to love her, admire her, trust her, and feel grateful for her. In her honor, please tell a friend what you love about them today.

Our family wants to express our sincerest gratitude to Kathy’s team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Thank you to Dr. Thomas Karasic, Katie Green, CRNP, all of the infusion nurses and especially Savannah, hospital aides, and staff who worked so hard to give us 19 more months together.

To celebrate Kathleen’s life, her family will host a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, Kathy asked that donations be made to the following organizations: Meals on Wheels Delaware and the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware.