KOMO's Kathi Goertzen, without a doubt one of Seattle's most respected and loved TV personalities, died today at age 54. Goertzen had battled brain tumors for 14 years, according to a Seattle Times obituary, and was most recently hospitalized last week.
On Friday, her official Facebook page posted:
Hello friends, this is Kathi's family. Kathi is sick and back in the hospital ICU and, as usual, fighting hard with the help of faith and good doctors and nurses. You have played an important part in her recovery over the years. We ask that you all say a prayer for Kathi at 7:15pm tonight. Together our thoughts and prayers will help her heal. We are grateful and we know she is, too.
According to The Times, Goertzen joined KOMO in 1979 and joined co-anchor Dan Lewis on newscasts on Sept. 21, 1987.
On a personal note, I have been a fan of Goertzen's since day one. That would be sometime in the summer of 2001 after moving to Washington from California. My wife and I had our own news anchors we'd love down there, and wondered who we'd watch in our new state.
It didn't take long to settle on KOMO. And it was because of Kathi. She was believable and smart, and we trusted her.
And now we shall miss her.
KOMO has asked Goertzen's fans to post their memories on the station's Facebook page. You can also share your thoughts in the comments section below thi spost.
