Services set for former Dixon woman killed in murder-suicide

DIXON – Services are set for Dr. Kate M. (Brokaw) McDowell, a former Dixon woman shot and killed by her husband Monday in their home in Bloomfield, Colorado.

McDowell, 40, was killed by a single shotgun blast. Her husband, Thad, 45, then turned the gun on himself, Adams and Broomfield County Coroner Monica Broncucia-Jordan confirmed Thursday morning.

Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Jones Funeral Home in Dixon.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Bethel Church in Dixon; the Rev. Dalmus Meeks will officiate.

She will be cremated, and burial of her remains will be held at a later date at Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon.

Condolences may be posted at thejonesfh.com.

McDowell, a 1997 Dixon high school grad, followed in her father’s footsteps, becoming a dentist and practicing in Chicago, Dixon and Colorado before opening her own practice, Sunrise Dental Care in Boulder, which she bought last year.

She and Thad married on April 2, 2016.

He was from Broomfield, a city of more than 55,000 people about halfway between Denver and Boulder.

"While her untimely death was tragic, she will be forever remembered for her warm heart and kind spirit," her family wrote in her obituary, which can be found on Page A4 of today's editions and on the Jones Funeral Home website.

Among others, she is survived by her parents, Dr. Kim and Mary Brokaw of Dixon, and brothers Ryan Brokaw of Fort Rucker, Alabama, Ben Brokaw of Chicago, and Nick Brokaw of Sublette.

Memorials have been established for Project Safe Haven, a Happy Tails Animal Shelter and Whiteside County Animal Control program that allows people fleeing abusive situations to have a safe place to house their pet while they seek shelter for themselves, and to Granny Rose Animal Shelter in Dixon.