of Little Rock, AR

February 23, 1950 - September 29, 2025

Kathleen Mary Mugan, 75, of Little Rock, Arkansas passed away peacefully on September 29, 2025, from complications of breast cancer.

Kathy, as she was known to the world, was born on February 23, 1950 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She was a compassionate and caring wife, sister, friend and colleague. She is survived by her husband, Douglas Murray of Little Rock, sisters Elizabeth Stuefen, Joan Brigham, Mary Wieser, Eileen Mugan and Janet Schultz and brothers William, Thomas, James and Patrick. She was predeceased by her mother Marie Mugan, father John Mugan, and brother Leo Mugan.

As the fourth of 11 children growing up in a Wisconsin dairy farm family, she learned the virtues of hard work and education. She graduated third in her class from Plymouth High School in 1968 and went on to attend the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Having worked her way through college with her babysitter savings, several jobs and a National Merit Scholarship, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1972.

For the next 15 years, she worked as a Medical Technologist (Hematology Reviewer) at St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin. After her first "retirement," she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. On August 19, 1988, she married "Doug," her husband for the next 37 years.

In the following two years, she held two positions, first in the laboratory at the Arkansas Department of Health and then as the Education Coordinator for the clinical laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. This, in turn, led to a teaching position in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at UAMS. In April of 1991, she joined the faculty. Over the next 17 years, she taught Hematology and Blood Bank until her retirement from this second career in 2008. Her tenure included three years as the Acting Director of the Program. She was much loved by her colleagues and by her students, who consistently gave her perfect evaluation ratings. When she retired, her students started an endowed scholarship in her name.

A great listener, she always encouraged people to tell their stories. Kind, caring and compassionate, she was someone people turned to, listening quietly while they told of their own suffering and grief. In this way, she helped them by taking some of their burden onto her own shoulders.

Kathy was a passionate world traveler, having visited 79 foreign countries. Her last major trip was to Antarctica in January of this year. She loved seeing the penguins, seals, whales, orcas, towering glaciers, blue icebergs, and stark landscape. Other favorite travel memories included the elephants and lions in Africa, the charm of her ancestral Ireland, and speeding across a Galapagos Islands bay in a zodiac with a pod of 100 dolphins all around her. In Europe, she was particularly fond of the historic architecture, which resulted in at least a dozen new "favorite cities."

At her request, there will be no formal funeral or memorial service. As friendly, outgoing and charming as she was, she did not like to call attention to herself. Her ashes will be interred at the St. Michael's Church cemetery in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, so she will be close to her family.

This Earth of ours is much the poorer for Kathy's passing, but we are all the richer for having been blessed with her life among us.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home
13801 Chenal Parkway
Little Rock, AR  72211
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com