I don’t know that any of us at KOMO can even begin to express how much you have meant to us in the last several days. Kathi’s death struck us to our core. Our hearts have been breaking.
Brave, strong and courageous. Kathi Goertzen was all that and more in her fight against brain tumors.
Today a piece of the fabric of my life is gone. Even though I’m putting this in words they can in no way come close to expressing the depth of the loss of one of my best friends, Kathi Goertzen.
It was the summer of 1987 and little did I know when I came to KOMO Television that I would be meeting one of the most important people in my life - a woman I would admire on the news set and off. A true professional and a role model for me - everyone else in the newsroom - and the entire Western Washington community.
If you didn't know better, you'd say she was the luckiest person you ever met. She was born into a wonderful family. She was so pretty, so talented, so proud to be a mother to Alexa and Andrea, so in love with her husband Rick.
Our co-worker, our angel, our precious friend, Kathi Goertzen, died today, surrounded by her loving family. The long fight against the tumors that have ravaged her brain is over. She is at peace now, comfortable and surrounded by all that is good.
It is often said you can judge a person's character by how they treat children and younger adults. By that measure, Kathi Goertzen was the best of them.
WSU Professor Glenn Johnson remembered Kathi's positive outlook on life and said she was a fighter right to the end.
Recently our community lost one of its finer citizens, She was nearly as devoted to her community as she was to her family. She was not a quitter by any means. If there was ever a fighter, Kathi Goertzen fit that bill. For 14 years and many more surgeries than most people could stand, she continued to fight. Our prayers go out to Kathi's family, her co workers, and all of the people in the community who listened to and watched her give the news on KOMO over the years, at the same time they fell in love with that happy lady with the wonderful smile. God Bless You Kathi, Rest In Peace. Peace also to your family, friends, and co workers.
Go Kougs!
Wow... what an amazing celebration of Kathi's life. She is smiling in Heaven.
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