Pat Soden, a dear friend to many, many people who work for peace and justice, died on Saturday. I am so happy to have had the wonderful experience of working with her (and with Tom Roberts, Nancy Bone, and Maureen Tuman) on a project we call Topics To Go (see the link under del.icio.us); we usually held our planning meetings in her living room, where we had fantastic conversations about various topics, Catholic and otherwise. Pat, a wonderfully gracious person, had no tolerance for bigotry of any kind. We will work to embody her spirit, and we will miss her tremendously.

Portions of her obituary, from the KC Star, follow:

Patricia Soden, 76, of Kansas City, MO, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, June 30, 2007. Patricia is survived by four children, Patrick, Tim, Katie and Steve; two daughters-in-law, Janet Earley and Sarah Soden; two grandsons, Ben and Sam Soden; a sister and brother-in-law, Missy and George Bollwerk; two sisters-in-law, Peg Smith and Dorothy Barth; and dozens of nieces and nephews. She was born a fifth-generation Kansas Citian on January 2, 1931. She grew up in Brookside and attended Notre Dame de Sion, graduating in 1949. She then attended Maryville College of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis, MO. She worked for several years in the early 1950s as a civilian for the U.S. Army, first in Washington, DC and then in Japan. She returned to Kansas City in 1955, when she met and became engaged to Jerry F. Soden. She married Jerry in February 1956 and, despite being told that she was medically unable to have children, gave birth to three sons and a daughter over the next ten years. Patricia gave her time and considerable energy to many organizations committed to peace and justice. She served in volunteer and leadership capacities for Kansas City Crisis, the Kansas City School Desegregation Task Force, PeaceWorks, the Mayor's Task Force on Race Relations, the Human Rights Project, the Haiti Episcopal Learning Project (HELP), Redemptorist Social Services Center, Global Volunteers, the Christo Rey School, Operation Breakthrough, Four Freedoms, and Topics-to-Go. In addition, she worked on behalf of at least one candidate or issue in virtually every election since the late 1960s. She earned a bachelor's degree in urban affairs from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1979. During her career, she chose work that supported her commitment to helping others. She assisted people with disabilities while working for the Whole Person, Inc., those near the end of life while at Hospice Care of Mid-America, and children in need while at The Children's Place. Patricia was many things to many people: adored sister, true friend, committed colleague and beloved mother and grandmother. She greatly enjoyed books and art, good conversation, and spending time with her many friends. She had a deep love for the Catholic Church and was an active member of the St. Francis Xavier Church community for more than 35 years. She was also a passionate traveler, visiting at least 25 countries on five continents.