A Heartbreaking Update
Hi folks,
Brian here. It’s with the heaviest heart I must inform you that Kat passed away October 9, 2023. She was the greatest person I’ve ever known.
Please can keep an eye on this substack for future memorial updates, as in these early stages of grief I struggling to find words. In the mean time, I hope you find a way to celebrate the people you love in your life in whatever way you can.
Below you’ll find her published obituary:
Kathryn King, of Brooklyn, NY, passed away under hospice care in her parents’ home in Winfield, IL. She lived her 39 years fully, accomplished much, and leaves a trail of memories that stretches around the world.
Kathryn married Brian Tasch in 2019. In Brian she found a creative companion and the perfect travel buddy. Together they traveled extensively in Southeast Asia, staying in neighborhoods, learning enough language in each country to be a good guest, and sampling life as lived in situ rather than as tourists. Their joy of travel took them to Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany, Portugal, London, and Amsterdam. Many travel plans were put on hold because of her cancer; but they got out as much and as often as her strength allowed. Travel—and the perspective gained from immersion in other cultures—shaped her ever-changing worldview.
She was born August 19, 1984, in a hurry at the Hinsdale Hospital, the third child of Karen and Chuck King. The family moved to Minnesota before her first birthday. Her musical passion and skill were established in her early years, and became the way she made new friends when the family moved to Winfield and attended Wheaton public schools. She is a 2003 graduate of Wheaton North High School, and graduated with a degree in English Literature from Wheaton College in 2007.
Piano lessons, trumpet, and participation in musicals and show choir were the foundation of her life-long creative growth. She played trumpet with a soul band in Chicago, played and sang with the jazz combo The Hot Baked Goods in San Francisco, co-founded The Hickory Street Jazz Club, and later wrote, arranged, sang, and played multiple instruments on her project “One Woman Band” (Brian played bass for the album; the only element not laid down by Kathryn).
She went by “Kat” among her friends–of whom there are many. After playing around with computer program coding, she enrolled in Hackbright Academy (a training center to prepare women to work in the tech industry). From there she landed jobs with EventBrite, a small start-up in San Francisco, and Twilio, collecting friends along the way.
Her love of bicycling began with family vacations and rides with Dad while in grade school in Minnesota. They rode together through the years, with their last ride being in May 2023–a charity ride for ovarian cancer research–40 miles through the five boroughs of New York City. She rode a number of centuries (100 mile rides) and successfully trained for and completed the Big Sur International Marathon.
Walking and cycling were ways Kathryn addressed her own diagnosis of ovarian cancer (in September 2020). She raised thousands of dollars for the Teal Foundation with a 10-mile walk less than a year after her diagnosis. She also single-handedly raised more than 25% of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s goal for the 2023 “TD 5 Boros Bike Tour.” She continued to make music, collaborating online with her friend and San Francisco band-mate, Nirav Sanghani. “One Woman Band” and her later videos can be heard on YouTube.
In September, Kathryn and Brian relocated to her parent’s home in Winfield, IL, for hospice care. Her thoughtful spirit and beautiful smile were present through the four weeks of her final decline. She passed away looking at the clear blue sky on October 9, 2023. She is survived by her husband, Brian Tasch, three brothers (Christopher, Patrick, Andrew), her parents, many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and countless friends.
Memorial gifts may be directed to: