Kathi's family visits memorial at Fisher Plaza

Mark and I feel so very fortunate to know Rick and to have had the distinct privilege of knowing Kathi.  What a total class act, so down to Earth, so accomplished, so stunning and so approachable. There is a void in our World today however having seen the memorial at Fisher Plaza, we know that two shining stars, Alexa and Andrea, will fill the void and then some! Rick, you are a rock star, too, and we wish you healing and much joy with your very awesome girls and friends!  Much love and condolences, Mark and Margo Allan

To every single person on the KOMO team, those who work behind the scenes, who took care of things so that those who needed to be away this past week, could be, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  Your kindness didn't go unnoticed.  KOMO certainly is a tightly woven family. 

No kidding...she's so special,and now we all gonna miss her very big time ! God Bless her family

and friends and KOMO.

 

Absolutely beautiful young ladies you raised there mama bear. You left You inside both of them - shine on star!!!

to any daughter son or husband mother brother who loses a loved one i ache in my heart for you and pray for myself too......tears

I don't know how I will continue to be able to live a day without hearing about you and how you are  doing. 

I moved to Washington in 1987 and loved watching you anchor the news. You were like a friend to me, and now  I have lost a  friend and a part of my life, a person that was very courageous, loving and loved.  I will continue to pray for your family, and their strength.

She was with out a doubt, the best of the best!!! I have watched her from the time she came to KOMO until her passing. She was such an incredible person & will be missed by many many people!!! I will be watching the memorial & am praying for her family that they can get through all of this & grow from her strengh!!! RIP dear Kathi!!!!

When I first learned of Kathi's death, it felt like my heart skipped many beats.

I was in so much shock and disbelief.  Now I realize that life really is short

and our bodies are fragile after all.  I commend Kathi's will to fight that tumor

all the way to the end.  She was a brave soul and didn't let it get in the way of

living her life.  She has touched the lives of so many of us and will always be

in our hearts.  My heart goes out to her husband and daughters who I know

are feeling the wrath of the loss.  I pray for them for strength in getting through

the loss of such an incredible person and to continue in her light.  Bless the

KOMO news team who all have been a family together.  May Kathi's light

shine bright as we look into the stars.  You will be greatly missed Kathi

and we will never forget you!

After re watching this today, I again find myself in tears. How sad it's been for the family, the colleagues, for this world to lose such a wonderful human being....

Whne my family moved here from Dallas. We started watching KOMO 4 news, She was likt a welcoming friend who would come into your home and would sit and have a long chat with you about the latest news in the local area. She was a Special Light that has gone out too soon... My Condolences to her Daughters and Her loving husband.. It's a Sad day this week when one light, that has been bright for so long is finally extinguished. But she'll always be remembered for the Contributions that she has given all of us and the Puget Sound Communities..

I still remember back 25 years ago when i was in and out of childrens hospital steve pool and kathi visting ...Kathi was a insperation to me growing up and always will be in my heart!

 

My mom suffered with brain tumors and felt a special connection to Kathi thru her husband.  My family (the Hagey's) grew up with Rick.  My mom would gain strength, courage, and hope by watching Kathi go thru surgeries and then return on air. Kathi was always so strong and positive.  What an amazing inspiration.  Rick:  please know that Bob, Deb, John, Ski, and Bonnie care about you and the girls and continue to pray for you all.

I grew up watching  this woman on TV.  My earliest memories TV memories were of watching her.  I lost my step dad to brain cancer Feb 3 of this year after a grueling 5 year battle.  6, almost 7 months later the pain of his sudden death-he was expected to make a full recovery, the latest round of chemo and surgery was ruled a complete success.   Then 6 weeks later at the end of Jan he developed chronic COPD, 3 days after coming home from the hospital with that diagnosis, he developed pneumonia was back in the hospital where they discovered his white blood count had dropped and was dropping by the hour.  The cancer had returned with a vengeance.    By Feb 3 he was back in the ICU and the cancer had moved to his spine and lungs.  Between the COPD diagnosis, the cancer and the strain on his heart, he had a massive heart attack at Virgina Mason.  I'm glad he passed in his sleep and I still would like to think he felt no pain.

 

I know how the three of  them feel right now and I did tear up for them while watching the video.  I hope they take comfort in knowing how many lives she has touched.

 

Dan Lewis seems like he's wanted to just break down and cry on camera-Dan, I grew up watching you as well.  It's okay to tear up.  I know he's said how close of a friendship the two of them had, and will always have.  I'm sure he's just as numb as her family.

This touching story made me cry!  My heart is heavy with the grief, yet comforted in the strength of her family.

 

I have followed Kathi since her first day on camera.   She was and will always be an inspiration to me.  The perseverance and positive attitude she demonstrated throughout the 14 years of battling her medical condition helped me get through my own medical issues.  She's just that special.

 

Rick, Alexa and Andrea:  May you continue to find comfort in all the wonderful memories you have of her and the amazing wife, mother, and pillar of this community that she has been.   I wish you all the strength you need to get through this difficult time.  Just know in your heart that she will always be there, looking over your shoulder and watching over each of you. 

I've watched Kathi since I was a young kid.  I can't say that I've ever felt a connection with other anchors here in the Seattle area, but Kathi was special.  There was just something about her that made her different than all the others.

 

While I was blessed to have been able to "know" Kathi on TV, there were many more who were blessed to have known Kathi in person.  I know that she touched many the hearts of many and we will all miss her dearly. 

Dear Rick, Alexa and Andrea,

Each of you are so incredibly kind to share your thoughts and loving memories of your wife and mother.  She truly was the best at everything she did but in watching you, in listening to you, we know she was the very best of wives and mothers, the best God had to offer.  I hope you know how very proud of each of you she is. 

~~~Thank you so very much for sharing her with all of us~~~

Just killed me when Alexa was remembering how their backs would be scratched...Kathi's family is so brave.

 

The best of energies speeding to you and your friends...

I've been watching Kathi since I was a kid - I'm now 41 and living on the east coast for the past 8 years, but always following Kathi's story.  God bless her family and friends during this incredibly difficult time - I just adored Kathi's spirit.  I'm so sorry for her loss on this earth.

My heart goes out to Kathi's family....May you find the strength to get through this difficult time and know that your mother was loved by so many. God Bless...RIP Kathi

Class all the way. Total class.

im so sorry to her kahthi postaway i no how that fills like my dad postaway back in 6/22/2006

Wow! What an amazing display of strength from her beautiful daughters and loving husband. My heart is heavy for all of you during this very sad time. I hope the strength of Kathi lives on within you to help you all through this. Just know that many heavy hearts are sharing your pain at this moment. God Bless you.

What a touching tribute from the perspective of her daughters & husband. My heart goes out to them right now as they grieve. It is obvious how much Kstji loved her girls& how much they will miss her.

There is nothing so sad as a young life shortened as hers was. My brothers died before their time, in similar circumstance.  There is no logic how we lose them, and they would not ask for sympathy, but is it not remarkable to be near the bravery of these fine people? " Make each day count", is probably the lesson they would pass on to us.  These are the good old days. My heart hurts for her family.

"More than all the sand in the beach or stars in the sky", how eloquently said of a Mother's love. Kathi probably wouldn't want us to mourn, though the pain is sharp, but to rejoice and rallying in her spirit that she showed us. The causes she championed are examples to all, that we can do a little if not a lot more for, family, friends, and community. Her daughters will be fine, Kathi established a solid foundation and a shining example in how to LIVE.

Eternal Peace and Love.

Wow, and thank you for this stirring testament to the strong implication that THOSE DAUGHTERS GOT the (would-be-a-gene-were-it-'genetic' ) blessing which allowed Kathi to express herself honestly and humbly without needing to live in FEAR of reactions she might inspire from evil people which lurk in even the immediate surroundings of soooooooooo many people.  When Kathi Goertzen looked OUT at the world she SAW exactly the awe and respect which will keep coming toward her long after she passed.  It is a lot easier to go through life after having been raised and PROTECTED by good people.  When that happens, one's personality is such that a better destiny awaits in later life.  I think Kathi's daughters have that blessing as it was passed right along while Kathi parented by the most prominent example she must've known.

 

Lots of newscasters have bombshell/unattainable looks, but Kathi Goertzen combined more traditional 'beauty' with a vibrant persona the likes of which doesn't come along every day.

 

And significant praise must be sent the way of Dan Lewis, who as Kathi's co-anchor for all of these years seemed to follow the instinct that was to reflect mainly the great things about Kathi right back toward her.  Very few people attain the adored public persona Kathi seemed to maintain during her entire career in broadcasting.

 

The family-like comfort which has long prevailed on the KOMO News set has been such an enhancement to the northwest for many decades, and that simply isn't shared by the local competition.

 

Perhaps more than anything Kathi Goertzen reminds us that life and our time on this earth is precious, and that we shouldn't sweat the little stuff so much.  Other people are, ultimately, the highlights of a human lifetime, and Kathi Goertzen was a noteworthy highlight in the everyday experiences of tens of thousands of us.

Very hard age for children to lose their Mom.  I hope there is some way she is always with them and that  they know it.  Kathi was a lovely person. 

Even though we didn't know Kathi personally, she was as much a part of our family, from the moment we moved to the Seattle area, as anyone in our lives.  Her strength, her passion, her professionalism, will never waiver in the eyes of those who ever had the honor of seeing her work, knowing her battle, loving her dedication to her family, her craft and her state.  God Bless Rick, Alexa and Andrea, may they have comfort during this difficult time.