Ellen McLaughlin Bradbury

Ellen McLaughlin Bradbury, 85, of Overland Park, KS, passed away on October 22, 2023 of an aggressive form of lymphoma.

Ellen was born on January 13, 1938, to Helen Frances and Lewis Leroy McLaughlin in Marysville, KS. After Ellen graduated from Marysville High School in 1956, she went to William Woods College for two years and then to Kansas State University where she received a Bachelors of Science in Political Science. She went on to complete a Masters of Education as a Ford Foundation Scholar from K-State in affiliation with Duke University.

After graduating from K-State, she started her teaching career at Indian Hills Junior High in Prairie Village, Kansas. She then moved to Tucson, Arizona and taught U.S. Government at Palo Verde High School for two years before returning back to Kansas City to teach U.S. government and history at Shawnee Mission East.

In 1967, Ellen met Howard Bon Bradbury through a friend and married soon after. Ellen and Bon had three daughters, Mary, Katie, and Anne. After Ellen and Bon divorced, she established a long and very successful career in real estate.

Ellen was predeceased by her sister, Phyllis Anne, and her parents, Marshall County Judge Lewis McLaughlin and Frances McLaughlin. She is survived by her daughters Mary Bradbury Jones (Philip), Katie Muehlberger (Chris), Anne Bradbury (Garron Selliken), and grandchildren Zander and Sagan Jones, Mac and Charlie Muehlberger, and Walker and Frances Vaudt.

Ellen served her community through various volunteer positions and was an expert on Kansas City history. She loved the arts (especially a Broadway show), a medium rare steak, and a dry martini with an olive, onion and a twist. She threw epic dinner parties on Sagamore Road and all were invited.

Services will be held at Country Club Christian Church on Saturday, November 4th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Kansas City Hospice House, an organization Ellen strongly supported.