Kay Patrice Kindred, youngest daughter of the late Greta and Robert Kindred, was born in Norfolk, Va., on September 13, 1956.

Kay lived a rich and full life. She was optimistic, caring and strong – including in her fight against breast cancer initially diagnosed in September 2020. Kay bravely underwent treatment and enjoyed five years in remission, treasuring time with family and friends, and retiring from an accomplished law career. Her breast cancer returned in 2025, and she fought it until her passing on January 28, 2026.

Kay was always curious and inquisitive, with a sense of adventure. Her mother, Greta, often recalled how young Kay tried to sneak out of their backyard to get “good dirt” in a nearby field to make her mud pies.

Kay grew up in Norfolk surrounded by a close-knit extended family and church community at Lambert’s Point Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir. She attended segregated elementary and middle schools and often spoke of the dedication, leadership, and strong educational foundation her teachers instilled.

Kay graduated with honors from Maury High School, where she played clarinet in the marching band. She then earned her degree in political science and sociology from Duke University, graduating cum laude in three years.

From age six, Kay wanted to become a lawyer. She received her law degree from Columbia University, where she was submissions editor of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. Late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of Kay’s professors at Columbia before being appointed to the bench.

Kay had a deep sense of justice, truth, and equity. She began her career in the legal department at General Electric Company and later served as an assistant to the general counsel at Old Dominion University.

Kay then spent eight years at the College of William & Mary, where she discovered her passion for teaching law and mentoring aspiring attorneys. She became Deputy Director of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. Kay was always proud of her time at the Institute, including her involvement in symposiums and events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.

In 1999, Kay, who believed in the value of education and opportunity, joined the newly opened William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She was the school’s first female African American law professor, the first tenured African American female law professor, and the first African American female appointed to the law school's administration, serving as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs from 2007 to 2011.

In 2006, Kay was named the first African American woman delegate from Nevada to the Uniform Law Commission. She also served on the Nevada Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Kay retired from the UNLV law school in 2024 but stayed active in research and the legal community. She loved music—especially jazz—and spending time outdoors hiking at Red Rock Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and along the California coast, often with her friends.

Kay enjoyed tennis—winning a local doubles tournament—loved to travel, sharing many adventures with her mother, Greta. They took a cross-country road trip when Kay moved to Las Vegas, an Alaskan cruise, and spent a summer in Spain when Kay taught in Madrid.

Kay had a great laugh filled with joy and built close friendships. Her friends remembered her as warm, selfless, and giving. She was a devoted daughter, sister, and a caring aunt with a generous spirit who loved welcoming family to Las Vegas and often visited them on the East Coast.

Kay loved animals, especially dogs, and cared for Pepper, Skylar, and Maggie and Max – her two rescues at the time of her passing – as family.

Kay will be deeply missed. She was predeceased by her parents, Robert E. Kindred III and Greta R. Kindred. Left to cherish her memory are her older sister, Wanda Church, of Chesapeake, VA; niece, Ellica Church alSalaam, and her husband, Taalib, of Bowie, MD; one great niece, Avaline alSalaam, of Bowie, MD; first-cousins Michael Williams and his wife, Janie, of Charlotte, NC, Walter Kindred, Jr. and his wife, Klinette, of Springfield, VA, and Erick Kindred and his wife, Georgianna, of Petersburg, VA; along with a host of other family and friends.

A celebration of Kay’s life will be held Monday, April 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Moot Court Building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. RSVP at https://bit.ly/4lPSaaQ to register to attend the service virtually.