Kathleen Jordan

Madison--Kathleen ""Casey"" Jordan, died peacefully at HospiceCare on October 19th after a three year battle with cancer. 

Casey was born on April 1, 1944 in De Kalb, IL, to Mary (Butler) Stabb and Clarence Connelly. Her family moved to Chicago in 1945 where she spent her childhood. After graduating from Mother McCauley High School in 1962, Casey moved to Madison to attend Edgewood College where she received her bachelor's degree in English. She lived the rest of her life in Madison and considered herself to be a native Madisonian.

Casey worked for more than 30 years at the University of Wisconsin, beginning in the Circulation Department at the Memorial Library. She retired from UW in 2001, where she was working as the Ph.D. Coordinator of the School of Business. 

Casey was also an active member of the Wisconsin Professional Employees Council (AFT, local 4848). She was tremendously excited when Wisconsin Federation of Teachers began their organizing efforts at the University and was proud to be the first person in her building to sign a union card. She threw herself into organizing and felt that her work in establishing WPEC was one of her greatest achievements. She served on their Executive board and as a steward for several years. She also served on local 4848 bargaining committee.

Casey is survived by her daughter, Samantha Jordan of Madison, WI, her mother Mary Stabb and step-father Chester Stabb of Fox Lake, Ill., aunt Catherine Butler of Twin Lakes, WI, sister Mary Connelly of Kalispell, Montana, sister Cathleen Stabb of Chicago, IL, brother Jack Stabb of Ann Arbor, MI, brother Charles Stabb of Chicago, IL, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Casey was preceded in death by her father Clarence in 1955 and her brother Richard in 1952.

She was a caring mother, a loving daughter and sister, a good friend, and a fierce union maid. She loved to spin a yarn and was fond of the saying ""stories only happen to those who can tell them."" She was a force of nature, dearly loved and will be greatly missed.

A Memorial Celebration of Casey's life will be held at the Brocach Irish Pub on Monday, October 26, 2009 at 5PM. We hope that Casey's friends, union brothers and sisters, and former colleagues will join the family for a toast in her honor. Those who wish to remember Casey may make memorial contributions to the AFT Wisconsin Memorial Scholarship Fund, 6602 Normandy Way, Madison, WI 53719, HospiceCare, Inc, or to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Casey's daughter would like to thank all of those who helped her mother through her final illness, especially Sandra Pfahler, her physician and the nursing staff at Dean Hematology and Oncology, and the staff at HospiceCare, Inc.