Kathryne Badura Obituary

Kathryne Elisabeth Badura Esq., 38, of Mahwah, New Jersey, passed away on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Born at St. Joseph's hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived between New York City, Los Angeles, and Mahwah.
The first child of Christina and Jan Badura, she grew up in Fair Lawn, NJ, and attended St. Catherine's Parochial School in Glen Rock, NJ. As a child, she learned Polish as a second language from her parents and her loving grandmother, Wladyslawa. She moved with her family to Mahwah in 1994.
She was a member of the 2004 graduating class of Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township, New Jersey. During her time at IHA, she excelled academically, graduating with honors and as a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and the National Math Honor Society. She participated in the school's accomplished athletic programs as a member of the Tennis and Swimming teams, and developed her lifelong passion for the arts as a member of several of the school's theatrical productions and singing groups.
She went on to attend Villanova University in Pennsylvania, graduating in 2008 with a double major in Communications and Political Science. While in college, she continued to excel in her studies, graduating Magna Cum Laude, while also further developing her artistic talents. She was a founding member of her a cappella group, Nothing but Treble, and was a part of numerous student-run musical theater productions. She was also a soloist in the Villanova Church Choir and the Villanova Voices choir, lending her voice to many of the university's major events.
After her undergraduate studies, she attended Villanova's Law School and graduated Cum Laude in 2011. Throughout Law School, she participated in several student journals and law societies, focusing on Entertainment, Fashion, and Sports law. She was admitted to the State Bar of New York, the State Bar of New Jersey, and the US District Court, District of New Jersey.
She went on to have a career focused on the intersections of fashion, law and business, working with luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Moncler, among many others.
She was the co-author of Your Child's Career in Music and Entertainment: The Prudent Parent Guide from Start to Stardom with Steven Beer, a member of the Fashion Law Institute of New York, and a frequent speaker and panelist on topics concerning emerging technologies and their impacts on trademark law and branding.
Throughout her life, Katie cultivated a deep love of art and music. From her summers at the Vans Warped Tour, to visiting the museums of Rome, Paris, Warsaw, and New York, she shared these interests passionately, constantly inspiring those around her, especially her younger brother, Alex. She loved classic movies starring Audrey Hepburn, novels by the Brontë sisters, and photographs of flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe.
An avid runner, she completed the Philadelphia and New York City half-marathons, a pursuit she shared closely with her father.
Making some of the finest pierogies, she would spend every Christmas with her mother rolling and filling the traditional Polish dumplings using a recipe passed down from her grandmother.
She was a devoted pet-owner to her beloved bunny rabbits: Oreo, Lyla, and Benjamin.
We love you Katie, not a day will go by where we don't miss you and think about you. You gave us so much. "and out of infinite gratitude we imagine immortality for them snug as the rabbit's burrow"
She is survived by her parents, Christina and Jan, and her brother Alex.
The family will receive friends and family on Monday, July 7 from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, 11am at the St. Elizabeth's Church at 700 Wyckoff Ave, Wyckoff, NJ.
Interment will follow at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave, Mahwah, NJ.
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