Beatrice "Bea" Brady

Beatrice "Bea" Beth (Bennett) Brady, 80, of Atchison, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, February 27, 2025, surrounded by her children after a brief illness with pancreatic cancer.

Mass of Christian burial will be on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 10:30 am at St. Benedict Church with Rev. Luke Turner, OSB as celebrant. A rosary will be on Friday, March 7th beginning at 5:30 pm at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home with visitation to follow until 7:00 pm. Bea will be laid to rest at Mt. Calvary Cemetery and a lunch will follow the burial at St. Joseph Church. Memorials may be left in lieu of flowers to St. Benedict Parish or Catholic Charities in care of the funeral home.

Beatrice Beth Brady was born on August 1, 1944, in a farmhouse in Wheaton, Kansas, the daughter of John R. and Eva M. (Shubkagel) Bennett. She attended Wheaton schools, graduated as valedictorian from Wheaton High School in 1962, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Park University as a working mother in 1990.  After working for several years for the State of Kansas in Topeka in the early 1960s, she and the late William J. "Bill" Brady were united in marriage on April 8, 1967, at the Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Topeka, Kansas.

After living in Fort Greely, Alaska, during Bill's service in the Army, Bea and Bill settled in Atchison in 1970 and focused on raising their family.  Bea embarked on a career as a dedicated federal employee in 1976, serving for 47 years with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Medical Command as a program analyst at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  She was known for her commitment to her work, her meticulous attention to detail, and the kindness she showed to colleagues and those she served.

A woman of deep faith, Bea was a devoted member of St. Benedict Catholic Church, where she actively participated as a eucharistic minister, choir member, finance committee member, altar society member, and served many years in perpetual adoration. She was a daily communicant until her health prevented it.  She also gave her time generously as a volunteer with Catholic Charities, and her blood abundantly as she donated 117 pints in her lifetime - always seeking ways to support those in need.

One of Bea's greatest joys was playing bridge, and she cherished the friendships she built over more than 50 years with her beloved bridge group. She also loved spending time with her grandchildren, playing cards with them, and passing along her love of games, learning, and vigorous debate.

Bea is survived by her son, Colonel Richard T Brady, USMC (Ret.) of Falls Church, Virginia; two daughters, Anne (Charles) Feise of St. Louis, Missouri, and Carole (Jeremy) Stempien of Scotch Plains, New Jersey; six grandchildren, Katherine Brady, Jack Feise, William Feise, Grace Feise, Bridget Stempien, and Julia Stempien; a brother, Charles (Mary) Bennett of Springfield, Virginia; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William J. Brady; her parents, John R. and Eva M. Bennett; her siblings, Loretta J. Bennett, Cecelia L. Zoeller, Robert J. Bennett, and James A. Bennett; and her daughter-in-law, Jeanne E. Brady.