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Monday, August 13, 2012

Kathi Goertzen

Posted by on Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 1:46 PM

Has died.

KOMO ran an incredible piece last year on Goertzen, a former KOMO anchor, about her fight with brain tumors and her incredible perseverance:

Rest in peace, brave lady.

 

Comments (40) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1
That's an unfortunate YouTube screen cap. All it makes me think of is Debbie Downer.
Posted by D Ray Morton on August 13, 2012 at 1:51 PM
2
You unfeeling asshole she had multiple brain tumors
Posted by rayisanidiot on August 13, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Dominic Holden 3
Hmmm... Seeing that screencap--and the segment--makes me inspired by a fearless bad-ass.
Posted by Dominic Holden on August 13, 2012 at 1:55 PM
--MC 4
The saddest thing I've ever seen on TV was a newscast where she was struggling to get through reading a story, just after her return to the air after her first big surgery -- it took minutes, she had to force every word, and she looked so tired, but she got to the end of it, they cut to that guy with the hedgehog hair, and she was gone for the rest of the show.
Posted by --MC on August 13, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Gern Blanston 5
Man, this is sad. She was an excellent newsperson in this market for many, many years. And she handled her illness with such dignity and grace. She was always grateful for what she had and she never wanted anyone to feel sorry for her. She's going to be remembered for a long time.
Posted by Gern Blanston on August 13, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Joe Szilagyi 6
Youtube uploaders pick the screen cap now or can change it. That's a deliberate bad ass move, like Dominic said.
Posted by Joe Szilagyi http://twitter.com/joeszi on August 13, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Matt from Denver 7
That's too bad. She was one of the better newscasters on Seattle TV.
Posted by Matt from Denver on August 13, 2012 at 2:09 PM
MacCrocodile 8
First Dan posts that video this morning, then I read about Helen Gurley Brown, and now this. I need a drink.
Posted by MacCrocodile http://maccrocodile.com/ on August 13, 2012 at 2:10 PM
9
I don't watch much TV news these days, but back when I did, Kathi always struck me as a sincerely nice person on air, something that was shown to me as accurate, once, off air.

Blessings to Kathi and her family.
Posted by palamedes on August 13, 2012 at 2:13 PM
pfffter 10
I came across this poem the other day, and it reminded me of Kathi G. Rest in peace, brave lady.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/bess/
Posted by pfffter on August 13, 2012 at 2:13 PM
Fnarf 11
I am not normally a huge fan of local TV newscasters, but one thing they have in spades is visibility. Kathi Goertzen brought that visibility to her medical issue with outstanding bravery and guts. That alone is worth more to the millions of people who saw her than all the blog comments in the world. She will be remembered.
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on August 13, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Cato the Younger Younger 12
Kathy was one of the few anchors I enjoyed watching on the news. Intellegent, attractive, professional and kind. She will never be replaced.
Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on August 13, 2012 at 2:20 PM
13
wow, I went to the KOMO site and the comments were spilling in so fast it made me dizzy. RIP to Kathi Goertzen, she was a real legend in local newscasting, and very brave for making her personal battle public.
Posted by genevieve on August 13, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Jubilation T. Cornball 14
Pretty much the last local newsperson I ever watched before giving up on all of the foolishness. And she was SO courageous. This is a sad, sad moment because that damn cancer won. Ugh. RIP, Kathi.
Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball on August 13, 2012 at 2:48 PM
15
Incredible person and a journalist who actually tried to define news. A very unusual accomplishment in local broadcast news. We all lost an exceptional person today.
Posted by Fairhaven on August 13, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Soupytwist 16
That woman was a poem.
Posted by Soupytwist http://twitter.com/katherinesmith on August 13, 2012 at 2:54 PM
17
I guess this isn't a surprise--there was a sad item less than a week ago in the Times reporting that she had gone back to the hospital and that she couldn't take any more chemotherapy. RIP and best wishes to her family.
Posted by seatackled on August 13, 2012 at 3:02 PM
Allyn 18
I am sorry for the loss.

I think the screen shot was a good choice. It was a poignant part of the story, that she accepted her current appearance and was all the more lovely for it.
Posted by Allyn on August 13, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Quintus Slide 19
A sad end to a long, grueling struggle, conducted with astonishing poise and bravery. R.I.P.
Posted by Quintus Slide on August 13, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Sargon Bighorn 20
And how are YOU living your life today? Busy busy busy in the office pushing paper making some one else rich perhaps? Or busy busy busy doing this that and the other?

RIP Ms Goertzen.
Posted by Sargon Bighorn on August 13, 2012 at 3:05 PM
Free Busch On Tuesday 21
A single person, in a small market, with a big heart and an indomitable spirit. Kathi was a living embodiment of the virtue of grace, dignity and preserverence.
Posted by Free Busch On Tuesday on August 13, 2012 at 3:05 PM
22
Poor, dear, sweet, courageous, smart lady. She will be missed. My heart goes out to her family, close friends, and the KOMO news family.

Rest in peace, Kathi.
Posted by jetcitywoman2 on August 13, 2012 at 3:17 PM
reverend dr dj riz 23
fucking cancer
Posted by reverend dr dj riz on August 13, 2012 at 3:35 PM
24
Rest in peace, brave lady. You've earned it.

And fuck cancer.
Posted by suddenlyorcas on August 13, 2012 at 3:43 PM
David Schmader 25
Kathi Goertzen was just the best. She will be missed.
Posted by David Schmader on August 13, 2012 at 3:46 PM
26
Damn. I was hoping she would beat this. I pretty much quit watching local Seattle news when Kathi left. Ironically I was just behind a car with a "fuck cancer" bumpersticker. RIP

(@1 You're an ass.)
Posted by StuckInUtah on August 13, 2012 at 3:54 PM
27
Actually not cancer, but tumors. So fuck tumors in general.
Posted by AW on August 13, 2012 at 4:08 PM
Joe M 28
Despite KOMO's outrageously mawkish coverage right now, I think her colleagues can be excused because this must be incredibly difficult for them. She really was that nice and genuine, not a phony. RIP Kathi.
Posted by Joe M on August 13, 2012 at 4:12 PM
Kinison 29
Somewhere in the back of my brain, I was hoping for a Kathi Goertzen vs Jean Enersen cage match, in which Jean would get her ass soundly kicked, due to all the pain and suffering Kathi went through in attempting to beat these brain tumors.

I'll never get that cage match, I has a sad.
Posted by Kinison http://www.holgatehawks.com on August 13, 2012 at 4:18 PM
30
I wasn't officially a fan until I saw that video when it originally aired, showing her courage and grace while facing such a terrible disease... to create visibility for brain cancer by showing the side effects so publicly (when she's clearly feeling self conscious) shows the true colors of her character tremendously. RIP Kathi, you will be missed.
Posted by UNPAID COMMENTER on August 13, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe 31

She was on KOMO for as long as since I moved to the PNW.

I remember coming back and liking to watch her after a day at the office.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe http://www.you-read-it-here-first.com on August 13, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Supreme Ruler Of The Universe 32

#29

Would you settle for Mary Nam and Rebecca Stevenson wearing baby doll pajamas and pulling each others hair?

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe http://www.you-read-it-here-first.com on August 13, 2012 at 8:25 PM
Kinison 33
@32

No, Jean Enersen needs to pay for her kleptomaniac problem.
Posted by Kinison http://www.holgatehawks.com on August 14, 2012 at 5:47 AM
Just Jeff 34
Posting that YouTube cap was a dick move.
Posted by Just Jeff http://pstonews.wordpress.com on August 14, 2012 at 6:56 AM
David Schmader 35
34: It's a tribute video that happened to land on a still you found inappropriate, even though the still shows the face of the woman we're paying tribute to. Grow up.
Posted by David Schmader on August 14, 2012 at 10:13 AM
scary tyler moore 36
no, kinison, no, no, no. jean is not a kleptomaniac. that is an urban myth, just like getting a note with your canlis bill asking you not to come back because you didn't spend enough money. there's one born every minute, i guess.
Posted by scary tyler moore http://pushymcshove.blogspot.com/ on August 14, 2012 at 4:57 PM
Roma 37
Very sad. I always liked watching her on the news and she seemed like a wonderful, very giving person. May her spirit live on.
Posted by Roma on August 14, 2012 at 5:42 PM
38
fuck this kathi goertzen bullshit. she's dead, tough on the family. down at fisher plaza they've got a talking head shrine, the dimwits are flocking to "honor" this dishonest shill. next.
Posted by juan gabriel on August 15, 2012 at 5:09 PM
39
I think we can see the important stuff coming through, that Kathi was sincere, real, and just hung on for as long as she could, and did the most with the time she had. No matter your age, your status, your perspective...I believe this is a noble, simple, and courageous thing, and I will never forget the impression that this has made on me.
Posted by janisth@comcast.net on August 15, 2012 at 9:10 PM
40
Thank you for posting the video. I am grateful to have seen it and to learn from her grace over these past years.
Posted by Tweets on August 19, 2012 at 10:50 PM

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