William Robert ‘Bill’ Brady

LAWRENCE — William Robert “Bill” Brady, 66, of Lawrence died on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

Bill was born on May 25, 1956, and raised in Parsons the only son and youngest child of William F. and Mary Brady. Bill was very fortunate to have loving parents and five terrific sisters: Rosemary, Kathy, Margaret, Mary and Alyce. His parents were education advocates and every Brady sibling got at least one college degree thanks in part to their support. 

Following college at Pittsburg State University, Bill returned to Parsons and was elected to the Kansas Legislature in 1980. Bill served 10 years in the House of Representatives and six years in the Senate. His major accomplishments were issues that were most important to his constituents, such as advancements in public education finance, improvements to state employee pay and working conditions and adopting a non-partisan closure commission to identify existing mental health and development service facilities for closure to expedite the movement of clients into community settings. Midway through his legislative career, Nancy Rogers moved to Parsons to work at the University of Kansas Bureau of Child Research and completed her Ph.D. Bill successfully convinced Nancy to make Kansas home and they married in 1988. 

Shortly after, Kevin (1991) and Maureen (1992) joined the family. In 1999, Bill began a 23-year association with John Peterson and Capitol Strategies, a governmental relations business focusing on the Kansas state government. Two specific issues stand as highlights of his career: Passing the 2010 clean indoor air act and serving as the lead advocate for a coalition of Kansas school districts that successfully sued the state twice in the Montoy and Gannon cases, leading to a more equitable school finance system. Beyond his work accomplishments, Bill was the absolute best husband, dad and papa in the world. 

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter, Maureen; son, Kevin; daughter-in-law, Michelle; granddaughter, Helen; four sisters; three brothers-in-law; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Rosemary; and son, Fred. 

Public service was extremely important to Bill, and in addition to his elected career, he served as president of the board of the Youth Crisis Shelter in Parsons, co-chair of the Labette County Medical Center fundraising campaign, an appointee to the Kansas State Library and a member of the recent search committee for Pittsburg State’s president. 

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence.

The family suggests memorials to the Douglas County Foundation. 

Leave online condolences at rumsey-yost.com.