This week I saw in the news, that Kathi Goertzen has lost her battle with brain cancer. I was amazed at the fighter and survivor she has been doing that long battle. People like her are an inspiration to me! I love to see people who continue to live and give, right up till the end. I love to see survivors that aren't afraid to talk about their faith and beliefs, that get them through some of the toughest trials. I pray that her legacy for the family (who is left to go on with their lives without her), will be to carry that same type of enthusiasm for life, love for others and a smile not matter what life throws at them. It is a great example to us all!
Thank you Kathi for your example, may we all enjoy each moment of life that we get!
Good night dear friends!
Beloved anchor Kathi Goertzen dies
This
undated photo provided by KOMO-TV shows longtime Seattle television news
anchor Kathi Goertzen, who died Monday, Aug. 13, 2012, in Seattle.
Goertzen had fought a lengthy battle with brain tumors. (AP
Photo/Courtesy KOMO-TV)
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"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."
Goertzen grew up in Seattle and graduated from Queen Anne High School before attending Washington State University. She'd planned to be a veterinarian before shifting her focus to journalism.
Goertzen joined KOMO TV in 1980, becoming a weekend anchor in 1982 before moving to weekday anchor in 1984. She was the first local news anchor to report live from the Brandenburg Gate during the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Goertzen became one of the best known celebrity's in the Northwest and worked for a number of charitable organizations.
In 1998 she was first diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor that damaged the nerves controlling her speech and swallowing.
Among her many contributions was leading a $43 million capital campaign for the YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish counties as board president for the organization.
She had surgery and returned to work within a month, but the tumor re-grew in 2005. A series of surgeries left her unable to anchor.
>>>Donate to the Kathi Goertzen Foundation here
"It's been a rough road, as you know. I was diagnosed with this, atypical meningioma, more than 10 years ago and I've had several surgeries and radiation and tried lots of different drugs and I've lost cranial nerve that controls my face and my hearing and my voice and my balance," she said in a recent KOMO story.
"There is no more pain and suffering. We hope you find comfort in the words she spoke when talking about this day," Gauntt wrote.
"I'm not afraid to die. I have a great belief, a great faith there's more. There's more to me, there's more to this life," Goertzen said prior to her death.
"She was one of the sweetest, most impressive people I've ever known," said KIRO's Dori Monson.
KIRO's Ursula Reutin profiled Goertzen in a recent feature.
"I just kept telling her 'Kathi, do you realize what an inspiration you are to so many?'" says Reutin.
Goertzen won five Emmy Awards and one Edward R. Murrow award, priding herself on her ability to carry a breaking-news broadcast without a script, according to the Seattle Times.
Goertzen is survived by her husband, Rick Jewett, two daughters, Alexa Jarvis and Andrea Jewett, and her mother and father, Irma and Don Goertzen, all of Seattle. She was 54.
"My heart is with the family, friends and colleagues of Kathi Goertzen. She had countless fans, not just in Seattle, but around the globe, and was one of the finest people I knew. She was a terrific journalist because she cared deeply about her work and the people it touched. She had passion and it showed. She put her heart and soul into every story, and was a warm and welcome presence at the anchor desk every evening, said Governor Christine Gregoire in a statement.
"As her fight against brain tumors waged on, we saw yet another side of Kathi. She was courageous, fearless and inspirational. Not afraid to share her own story, she remained strong, with that beautiful smile, to the end.
Found this story Here:
"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us."
-Henry David Thoreau
1 comment:
Thanks for my solo class on Wednesday! That sure was a cute project. I was to hear that she died. When we first moved here in January the station ran a story about her receiving a recognition award for her community involvement.
I know that the NW Washington area is going to feel a tremendous loss. She fought a darn good fight.
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