Kathy Anne Quick

Kathy Anne Quick died on Sunday, March 29, at the age of 59. Her passing was sudden and unexpected. Mother, partner, daughter, sister, friend, and educator—Kathy was a force in the lives and hearts of everyone she encountered. Her vigor, steadfastness, and reliability imbued her work, relationships, and engagement with the world. Kathy taught art and art history for over three decades at several New England universities, including: Brown University (her alma mater), Clark University, Quinnipiac University, the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Rhode Island (URI), where she was on the full-time faculty for the last fifteen years. Her dissertation, examining the development of Lewis Hine’s documentary photography of immigrants to the U.S. in the early twentieth century, was later published in the respected international journal "Visual Studies". At URI, her expertise and experience enabled her to regularly teach large cohorts of hundreds of students. But Kathy’s life was more than just her work. She was a woman of strong convictions and often spoke and marched for issues that she believed would improve our society. She ran three days a week with a religious zeal (once completing the NYC marathon), traveled the globe in search of adventure, art, and personal enrichment, and always found time for her family. Kathy cherished those who filled her life: Her son, Bryan (and his partner, Andrea), who carries her strength of conviction for justice in his legal practice and commitment to the arts in his writing; her life partner, Rafi Mohammed, with whom she shared more than ten beautiful years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when they weren’t traveling, savoring fine cuisine, and dancing to classic rock and jazz; her proud, loving parents Edward and Dolores Quick; her confidante and devoted sister, Mary-Grace Shifrin (and her predeceased husband, Jim); (predeceased) niece Bailey; nephew Cooper; niece Nevaeh; caring brother, Edward J. Quick (and his wife, Kelly); niece Ariana; nephew Eli; sister-in-law Selina (and her husband, Dan Kim); niece Sachi; and nephew Sam; along with two special aunts, countless cousins and cherished friends near and far. She also leaves behind her young protégé, Bigsby the cat. All are invited to celebrate her life Saturday, April 4th, visitation from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM with a memorial service at 11:00 AM in the Winfield & Sons Funeral Home, 571 West Greenville Road, Scituate, RI. Burial will be respectfully private. Please consider making a donation in Kathy’s honor to the ACLU.

Tributes

Kathy Anne Quick

March 29, 2026