Kaitlyn "Kaitie" Braddock

Kaitlyn “Kaitie” Marie Braddock, 26, of West Columbia, Texas, passed from this life into God’s rest on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Houston, Texas. Nineteen months after diagnosis with an aggressive neuroendocrine cancer, she passed peacefully, with her parents by her side holding her hands.

Kaitie was born on January 22, 1996, to Walter and Becky Braddock and grew up in West Columbia. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2018 from Texas Tech University, then returned to her beloved home in West Columbia as she pursued work that allowed her to be where she loved most – near her family and out in nature. In the two years before her diagnosis, she shared her deep knowledge of and appreciation for God’s creation through internships with Brazos Bend State Park, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and the Brazoria Wildlife Refuges.

Kaitie only lived 26 years here, but she filled those years with as much joy, life, and love as possible. She was an incredibly talented artist, a skilled photographer, and a beautiful singer. But of all her many natural gifts, her greatest was the way she made people feel. She saw people through God’s eyes, seeing what is beautiful in each of us. If she met you, she cared about you and wanted good for you. A faithful Christian, her light shone brightly everywhere she went and into the lives of everyone she met. She especially loved her friends and family, deeply, and will be profoundly missed.

Kaitie is survived by her parents, Walter and Becky Braddock, of West Columbia, Texas; her brother, Kris Braddock, his wife, Courtney, and three nieces – Maddie, Kat, and Emma – of Willow Park, Texas; her sister, Erin Adams, her husband, Matt, and two nephews – Emerson and Alexander – of Pearland, Texas; her grandmother, Helen McKey, of Edna, Texas; her aunts and uncle – Nola McKey, Laura McKey, and Doyle McKey and his wife, Martine; two cousins – Clay Eads and Jenny McKey; and other extended family members who were special to her. Kaitie is also survived by her sweet dog, Vacuum, and the cat she adored, Ginger.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents – Walter and Iola Mae Braddock and John McKey.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at C.T. Baker & Sons Funeral Home in West Columbia, Texas.

Kaitie’s funeral service will be held at C.T. Baker & Sons Funeral Home, 634 S. Columbia Dr., West Columbia, Texas, at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022, with David Weaks officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. at Memory Gardens of Edna in Edna, Texas.

In remembrance of Kaitie’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Golden Reward Sanctuary for Horses and Dogs