12/16/1955 – 9/20/2022
Steven Kotzerke
With an extremely heavy heart we had to say goodbye to my beloved husband, Steve Kotzerke, born December 16, 1955. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Jolene, mother, Gerry Williams, lovely daughters; Breanna Gaynor and Molly Dahlgren and husband Aaron Dahlgren and their 3 children; Wesley, Sophie and Henry. Also, his beloved sisters; Debbie MacVittie and husband Walter MacVittie, Julie Wentz and husband Brian Wentz and their children Michael and Brittany Wentz, along with their stepmother Bonnie Kotzerke. Jolene’s brother Steve Jaffe and wife Caroline, niece and nephew Stacy and Michael Jaffe Jr., and brother Michael Jaffe and wife Rhonda. We also have many extended family members near and far.
Steve was born in 1955 in Spokane Washington and raised in Edmonds Washington and attended the University of Washington as a Sigma Nu. He was a thirty-year season ticket holder for his Huskies.
His passions for outdoor activities included golf, snow skiing and waterskiing, tennis and his most recent passion was hiking in California and Washington on portions of the Pacific Crest Trail. He was an amazing athlete and lived it well. He cared very little about material possessions but his priority was living life to the fullest.
Steve’s incredible loyalty, integrity and compassion for his family was his greatest priority in life. Raising two daughters he had a calmness and a way of saying just the right thing. Becoming a Papa to his grandchildren was over the moon for him. He was thrilled whenever he could love and hold and be with them.
Steve loved numbers and spreadsheets and competing all at the same time. He’d have color coded spreadsheets of who beat who at skiing or golf and love competing at most any game up to the last week of his life. He even made a feeding time spreadsheet when the twins were preemies and on such a rigorous schedule.
He must have been born on a sunny day -he woke up happy and came home from work happy. He had a joyous love for life. People always loved Steve for his ease of companionship and sense of humor. One of his lines was “Aren’t you glad I’m the first person you get to see this morning!”
He was taken too early by non-smoker adenocarcinoma lung cancer that came out of nowhere and was aggressive as a Stage 4 diagnosis a year ago. Thankfully his girls were able to be with him the last weekend of his life and hold him closely. We are thankful to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Hospice services for all the support they gave us along this journey.
We have been so blessed by the outpouring of kindness of dear friends and family for over a year of consistent and loving support – weekly love notes, prayer warriors around the world, flowers, dinners, gardening, handyman, board game pals, airport shuttles, toys for grandkid visits, and texts and hugs along the way. I could not have done this without all of you!
“Find a life worth enjoying, take risks, love deeply and always have rebellious hope!”
Friends and family members who want to donate and contribute to the bench in Steve’s memory can do so by making a gift online at:
Choose “Hospice Services” in the designation drop-down menu and then check Tribute Gift to get the menu to enter Steve’s name.
His life will be celebrated Oct 30th from 11-2 at Matt’s rotisserie and oyster lounge in Redmond WA.
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