University of Miami Professor Kathryn Sue Freeman, known for making the stresses of her English students fade away with just a smile, died in her sleep at home on Jan. 24, 2025.
“My mind was rejecting it,” Rafaela Ochoa, one of Freeman’s past students, said. “I didn’t believe it.”
Freeman received her bachelor’s and doctorate in English literature from Yale before coming to UM as an assistant professor in 1992. Freeman has taught thousands of students over the years, though, being an educator was not the only role she played at UM.
Freeman also found herself helping Director of Undergraduate Studies Timothy Watson process faculty applications while he was department chair. While Freeman was typically fun and loving outside, she would readily flip her demeanor while working to give the department her all.
Watson was always in awe of her kindness and dedication to students.
“She helped them with their writing, thinking and presentation skills, they commented that her door was always open,” Watson said. “It’s hard to imagine that she’s still not up there one floor above in her office.”
Department Chair Jaswinder Bolian admired her persistence in developing the best English department for students. Though they would rarely talk outside of work, Bolina knew she was one of a kind.
“She would go from being warm, friendly Kathy to really inclusive, thoughtful academic Kathy,” Bolina said. “It was fun when she would switch gears and become the scholar in the room.”
Students imagined building their writing careers with Freeman at their side. Ochoa was originally a political science major before Freeman showed her a successful career in the demanding publication industry is possible.
Freeman emphasized that her classes were for everyone. Though they would dabble in 18th century literature in her romantic era courses, Freeman promised every student they would leave with a greater understanding of the text.
“Her tone was very welcoming to us and she really encouraged discussion in the classroom,” Ochoa said. “Myself and other students were just in awe of how intelligent she was.”
Freeman’s kindness was not without struggle. She balanced her incoming responsibilities with being a single mother while working on her scholarly books, like “Rethinking the Romantic Era” and “A Guide to the Cosmology of William Blake.” Still, Watson remembers how she was always graceful in the face of pressure.
“She did a lot of the invisible work that makes the University run, [the person] who will take notes, followup and volunteer,” Watson said. “Any large organization relies on people who do that work.”
Looking at student comments on Freeman from her last professor evaluations, Watson’s eyes were drawn to the student’s kind remarks, as if a piece of her lived in every word.
“I have students come to me saying, ‘I want to do a senior thesis, I want to work with Professor Freeman’,” Watson said. “They saw her as a model for somebody who combines research, teaching and generosity. It’s going to be very hard to replace that.”
The UM English department looks to preserve Freeman’s legacy by carrying out her dream ambition for the department, teaching more female authors. Faculty hopes to expand the literature used in class to expose students not just to acclaimed male writers, but underappreciated female authors who laid the groundwork for modern storytelling.
The English department looks forward to planning her celebration of life in their first department meeting this semester.
“We’re trying to regroup and process the shock and grief and figure out ways to celebrate her legacy,” Bolina said. “For anybody you talk to in the department, the memories are all warm and good, so you want to honor those and that’s what we’re working on now.”
While it’s impossible to sum up what Freeman means to the University with one event, her colleagues know just treating each other with Freeman’s kindness will help the department remember her for years.