Kelly Brown "Bea" Bulak

1990 - 2021

Kelly Brown "Bea" Bulak
November 19, 1990 - November 9, 2021
Charleston, South Carolina - Kelly Brown "Bea" Bulak died on November 9, 2021, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. She is survived by her parents, Pamela Brown Bulak and James Stephen Bulak.
Kelly was born on November 19, 1990, in Columbia, SC, where she attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. She went on to graduate from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she earned a degree in Architectural Design. After college, Kelly followed her passion for interior design in Columbia and Charleston. Always curious, she fell in love with how Charleston's deep history informed its signature architectural styles, became determined to preserve those stories, and went on to pursue a graduate degree in Historic Preservation, which she continued with determination during her treatments.
Throughout her life, Kelly traveled across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. She loved to explore places new and old, and her motto was "never turn down a trip!" Every summer, she studied architecture in Vienna, Austria and Krakow, Poland. A rare creative soul and visionary, she found inspiration everywhere she went and was very perceptive and wise, always picking up on interesting details beyond what meets the eye.
Effortless and contagious kindness came naturally to Kelly and she made friends everywhere she went. She embodied grace, positivity, determination, and hope, and carried those traits through her diagnosis and treatments. An inspiration to many, Kelly had a large group of close friends from all phases of her life and had a penchant for bringing people together. She encouraged her friends to get vaccinated, vote, always order the dessert, and suffer no fools!
In addition to her parents, Kelly is survived by her aunt Patricia Moore, uncle Marvin Moore, cousin Christopher Bowden, her beloved cat Leo (the "Magnificent Beast"), and many other cousins around the country.
In accordance with her wishes, memorials may be made to MUSC Foundation Hollings Cancer Center in support of the Thoracic Oncology Fund of Dr. John Wrangle (Kelly's oncologist) (18 Bee St. MSC450, Charleston, SC 29425) and Clemson University's Historic Preservation Program located in Charleston.
The family is eternally grateful to Kelly's smart and compassionate oncology team and to the entire medical staff at Hollings Cancer Center and MUSC Medical Center.
A memorial service will take place on Friday, November 26, at 1pm at the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School Chapel in Columbia, SC.