Kathleen Marie Kaufman

Kathleen Marie Kaufman, who was a tireless advocate for nurses and healthcare in Utah, died of cancer on March 21. She was 71.

After earning her Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Utah, she was a Clinical Nursing Instructor who cared deeply about history, good writing, and, of course, her students. She gave

hundreds of Utah nurses an excellent education and touched hundreds of thousands of lives through them.

As President of the Utah Nurses Association and in her spare time, she testified and lobbied at many legislative sessions, working hard, for example, to get Medicaid Expansion passed in Utah. Additionally, she co-authored a book entitled Celebrating the First 100 Years: LDS Hospital 1905-2005.

She was also active in the Hibernian Society of Utah—a group that celebrates Irish culture—hosting Irish Poetry Nights, Medieval Banquets, and St. Patrick’s Day Parades.

Born on May 3, 1950, to Margaret A. Morris and John J. Kaufman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kathleen was the eldest of 10 children. Her childhood on a farm in Western PA instilled in her a passion for the outdoors and cooking, preserving, and growing food. One memory that stood out to her was riding a horse to her job at Taylor's Dairy.

She earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Grove City College in 1972. She went on to earn another B.S. in Nursing at the University of Maryland, where she met her future husband. A mutual friend told her that he needed someone with whom to drive across the country. Little did they know they would be spending the next 29 years together. Kathleen married John Joseph Comeford in 1977.

Having a love of traveling, especially by train, Kathleen frequently visited family in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Omaha over the years. Ireland held a special place in her heart, and she made friends while traveling the countryside. She loved hiking, kayaking, and camping around the country.

Kathleen is survived by her children James J. Comeford and Catherine A. Comeford, her grandchildren Melea Martin and Iris Martin, step children Patricia Noo and John Comeford, siblings , Tom J. Kaufman, William J. Kaufman, Margaret K. Craig, Raymond J. Kaufman, Paul J. Kaufman, and Edward J. Kaufman, sisters-in-law Amy Kaufman and Carla Kaufman, and brother-in-law David Havrilla.

A wake will be celebrated at Starks Funeral Parlor on April 21 at 6:00pm. Guests are encouraged to park and enter on the North side. 

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on April 22 at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 7405 S Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT 84084.

The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Utah Nurses Association.