Kathryn J. "Kathy" Oberdeck, 64, passed away at her home in Urbana on June 8, 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Kathy was born on January 18, 1958, in Santa Monica, CA, to Jean and Charles Oberdeck. She attended local schools, including Palisades High School, where she made many lifelong friends. She received a B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1981 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in American studies from Yale University in 1991. While at Yale, Kathy met William Munro, and the two were married in California in 1993.

After graduating from Yale, Kathy was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, before becoming a professor of history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1993. She taught there until her death. Throughout her tenure at the University of Illinois, Kathy mentored and championed countless undergraduate and graduate students who remember her fondly.

Kathy's scholarship focused on labor history, class, and space, and she wrote, taught, and spoke extensively on these subjects. Later in her career, she became interested in public history, and was a driving force in developing the Public History program at UIUC. Through this work, she collaborated with local community groups, including the 5th and Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign and the Greater Community AIDS Project. The latter collaboration inspired an exhibit at the Spurlock Museum on the AIDS quilt panels from Central Illinois. In 2021, the university recognized her achievements in research, public outreach, and pedagogical innovation by appointing her Leslie A. Watt Professorial Scholar. She was also honored with the Distinguished Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement.

In her teaching, writing, and community activities, Kathy was a consistent and passionate advocate for social justice. She was frequently present at community rallies, strikes, and gatherings for a multitude of causes. Her values of caring, community, and active engagement led her to serve as chair of the Equal Opportunity and Inclusion Committee of the UIUC Faculty Senate; as a member of the board of the University YMCA; as president of the Campus Faculty Association; and as president of St. Matthew Lutheran Church council. Kathy considered her work for justice to be a profession of her faith.

Following the passing of her sister and close friend Carol in 2003, Kathy assisted her parents in relocating from Santa Maria, CA to Urbana, where she could better support them. While raising two small children, she helped to care for her aging parents until they passed.

In 2009, Kathy and her family spent six months in Durban, South Africa, conducting research and spending time with William's family. While in S.A., she developed many deep personal and professional relationships which she maintained and treasured throughout her life.

In her free time, Kathy enjoyed walking and biking, gardening, playing piano, and travelling with her many friends and family. She was a devoted and loving mother and wife. Her children remember her making up songs to sing to them, reading their favorite books with them, and supporting them in all their interests and activities.

Kathy is survived by her husband William; her two children, Fiona and Cara Munro, of Urbana and Santa Cruz, CA; and three brothers-in-law in South Africa.

She is preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Carol and Kristen.

Kathryn lived an intellectually, spiritually, and personally brilliant life. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and community.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 24, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 2200 S. Philo Road, Urbana. Out of concern for those who are vulnerable, the family requests that attendees wear masks.

The family will be setting up a scholarship fund at the university in Kathy's memory. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family requests that any memorials be made to that fund when it is set up, to Sola Gratia Farm, or to Champaign County Health Care Consumers.