Obituary of Kathryn Joanne Brinkerhoft

On Dec. 17, 2017, Kathryn "Kathy" (Pociecha) Brinkerhoff, a longtime resident of rural Fort Atkinson, died peacefully at home, just three weeks after being diagnosed with recurrent metastatic breast cancer. She was 69 years old. As a teenager, Kathy fell in love with animals, horses and German Shepherd dogs. She attended Shorewood High School near Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. In high school, she loved dances and rock concerts, and managed to score tickets to the Beatles 1964 performance in Milwaukee. After college, Kathy worked at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva where she made lifelong friends and enjoyed attending the Bunny reunions. Kathy achieved great success in restaurant management and was general manager for many of the finest restaurants in Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. She had great stories about movie and sports celebrities whom she met during her professional career. When she retired, Kathy and her husband Scott, to whom she was married for 28 years, chose the Wisconsin countryside where she could have her horses and dogs and cats all around her. On an average day, visitors might find Kathy tossing bales of hay or tutoring horse owners on the care of their animals, or taking care of stray animals nobody else wanted. She was strong, full of energy and good nature, always willing to donate to a good cause or help a neighbor. Kathy touched everyone who knew her with her wicked sense of humor and fun-loving spirit, and said many times that she had lived a full and rewarding life. It was Kathy's last wish to thank her many friends, neighbors and local service providers for helping her maintain the ranch over the years. Special thanks, too, to Agrace hospice for their compassionate care during the last weeks of her life. In addition to Scott Brinkerhoff, Kathy is survived by her sister, Carol Palm (husband Joseph); and her nephew, David. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Erwin "Chuck" Pociecha and Rosella "Lolly" Pociecha. A celebration of Kathy's life will be held this summer at her ranch. Her ashes will be spread among the wildflowers in the prairie according to her wishes.