Kathleen Delia (“Katie”) Mullen died peacefully at her home in Washington, DC, on January 8, 2026, at the age of 48, after a courageous 2+ year battle with brain cancer.

Katie was a devoted conservator, a committed Buddhist, a lifelong lover of cats, a generous and loyal friend, and someone who never missed an opportunity for a well‑timed joke. She lived with care, curiosity, and humor, and she brought those qualities into every part of her life.

Early Life

Katie was born in January 1977 on Long Island, NY, to her parents, Mary and Martin Mullen. After surviving a challenging pregnancy, Katie spent the first few months of her life in an incubator—a beginning that foreshadowed the resilience she would carry throughout her life. Katie grew up in a lively home alongside her older siblings, Thomas and Eileen, her beloved grandmother “Nanny,” and a rotating cast of much‑loved pets. Katie was the youngest of 33 Irish Catholic cousins, and enjoyed the constant company of extended family, chosen family, and a wide variety of neighbors and friends.

An early and enthusiastic reader, Katie learned to read at a young age and developed a lifelong love of books, learning and spirituality. As a teenager, she was a devoted Star Trek fan, and she explored music as well, including playing the guitar. She attended Catholic School through high school, and received a BA in American Lit and Classical Philology (comprehensive study of ancient Greek and Roman languages, literature, history and culture) from Hunter College in NY. She was naturally curious, deeply thoughtful, and quietly observant—traits that shaped both her professional path and her personal relationships.

Professional Life & Calling

Katie pursued her education with the same care and intention that later defined her career. She went on to complete advanced studies in fields aligned with preservation, history, and cultural stewardship, concluding with an MSIS and CAS in Conservation of Library and Archives materials from The University of Texas at Austin. She worked at the Wisconsin Historical Society and later at the Library of Congress, where she held roles including conservator, preservation coordinator, and archivist.

Her work focused on preserving fragile and irreplaceable materials so that history could be protected and shared with future generations. Katie approached this responsibility with exceptional skill, patience, and humility. Colleagues regularly sought out her expertise, knowing she combined deep technical knowledge with generosity and collaboration.

As one colleague shared:

“Katie is a highly skilled conservationist who provided invaluable insight into preserving fragile materials. I came to her with questions about everything from books to three‑dimensional objects, and she either had direct knowledge of best practices or connected me with someone who did.”

Katie also applied her preservation skills as the family genealogist, meticulously building and maintaining an ancestry database that reflects her love of history and her devotion to family.

Friends, Cats & Community

Katie's interest in everything under the sun made her an engaging conversationalist, and she formed new friendships with ease throughout her life. Once you entered her ever widening circle of friends, she was diligent about reaching out, checking in, and making time to reconnect. Katie gave thoughtful gifts that highlighted her care; for example, she once sent her friend Josh a homemade "Advent calendar" consisting of many little individually wrapped gifts.

Katie abundance of curiosity often overflowed to subjects that most people overlook, whether it was road trips through Indiana searching for grain elevators, or exploring old cemeteries looking for eighteenth century headstones. She saw the history of a place or item as its fourth dimension, allowing her to even find beauty in urban decay. Her work in conservation was a way to preserve and share the stories contained in the physical world with others.

Katie was the quintessential foodie: she was enthusiastic about Wisconsin cheese, Indiana supper clubs, NY diners, and DC area Michelin star restaurants. There was no cuisine she did not enjoy, and she always seemed to have on hand a new recipe for a quick and easy vegetarian meal using items from Trader Joe's.

Anyone who knew Katie knew that her love of cats was legendary. Her cats were companions, sources of joy, and constant presences in her life. To quote Katie: "Some people have cocktails to relax at night; I have a lap cat."

Spiritual Path & Inner Life

Later in life, Katie became a practicing Buddhist, a path that resonated deeply with her reflective nature and values. Buddhism offered her a framework for compassion, presence, and acceptance—principles that quietly shaped how she lived, related to others, and faced illness.

Her spiritual practice was not performative but embodied: she met people with patience, listened deeply, and approached life with gentleness and humor.

A natural skeptic, Katie was drawn to Buddhism due to its logical structure and principles grounded in the ability to test out the concepts in her daily life. After trying out different Buddhist traditions during her time in Madison, she began attending classes at Kadampa Meditation Center-Madison. Her teacher at the time, Gen Kelsang Gomlam, recalls many debates she had with Katie over Buddhist principles and how Katie took little on faith, instead needing to come to belief in her way and in her own time.

After moving to DC in 2018, Katie didn’t re-engage with Kadampa Buddhism until she received her cancer diagnosis in the Fall of 2023. Then, she immediately re-connected with Gen Gomlam, who advised her to seek support at Kadampa Meditation Center Washington-DC. Katie began attending classes, joining the Foundation Program and eventually the Teacher Training Program to deepen her experience of the teachings. Teachings on equanimity, kindness and compassion for all living beings deeply resonated with her and helped her face her illness with courage and compassion for others facing terminal illnesses.

Her ability to face her illness with compassion, courage and humor was inspiring for her friends, mentors and teachers within the Kadampa Buddhist community, not just in Washington DC, but for students from all over the world, including practitioners she met at the New Kadampa Tradition Fall Festival in Brazil in October, 2024. Katie died as she lived – demonstrating core Buddhist principles of faith, devotion, compassion and peace of mind. Her example lives on at KMC-DC, where the Katie Mullen Memorial Library – a collection of NKT books that she donated to the Center – inspires current and future students.

Closing & Memorial Information

A memorial celebration of Katie’s life will be held on Saturday, February 21. All friends and family are invited. The day will begin at 1:00 pm with a ceremony of prayers at Katie’s Buddhist temple, the Kadampa Temple and Meditation Center, followed by a reception at the same location: 1200 Canal St SW, Washington, DC 20024.

Following the ceremony, all are welcome to join Katie’s family and close friends at Congressional Cemetery, where her memorial bench and ashes are located, at 1801 E Street, S.E., Washington, DC 20003. The cemetery is approximately an 11‑minute drive from the temple; ride‑share services are recommended due to limited weekend parking.

For those unable to attend in person, Katie’s prayer ceremony will be streamed (details forthcoming).

In lieu of flowers, Katie requested that friends consider donations to her Buddhist temple; to Kelsang Gama, a Buddhist nun awaiting sufficient funds for a kidney transplant; or to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Katie Mullen’s life reminds us to preserve what matters, love our cats fiercely, and never underestimate the power of laughter shared with friends.