Kate "Katie" Anne Davis

In the night sky, the light we see shining down from the stars above is not from the light burning that night, but from years in the past. Even thousands of years after their fire has burned out, the bright light was still bright enough to guide us through the darkest nights. There is no greater comparison to be made towards the shining light that was, and still is, Katelin Anne Davis.

On October 16th, 2021 I lost my older sister who passed in her sleep in her apartment in Seattle, WA at the young age of 34. Being only 22 months older than me, it is difficult to comprehend my inspiring sister dying so suddenly with a great many years of adventures left ahead of her. Greater still is the vast hole now left behind by such an inspiring spirit that is Kate.

Born on May 11th, 1987 in San Diego, Ca, Kate was destined for cataclysmic levels of success right from an early age. To me she was always inspiring as one of the smartest academics and discoverer of knowledge, the fastest athlete on the track and basketball court, and the hardest working person I knew, and that was before she went on to officially earn those titles throughout school. A challenge to Katie seemed to propel her like a rocket in the vacuum of space, towards not only completion but roaring success, all by the sheer willpower that would make any celestial body jealous. The vast amount of both academic and athletic achievements (not to mention the numerous times she beat me at the Pinewood Derby) quickly filled a vast amount of space in her life, but was always shadowed by what was ahead.

After graduating from Pleasant Valley High School in 2005, my sister went looking for the hardest task she could sink her never-ending tenacity into. After hearing that “valedictorian high school graduates are the norm here”, my sister set off for University of California San Diego to earn her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (of which I’m certain the Pinewood Derby was foreshadowing for). She quickly landed a job at Parker Aerospace to create equipment I would later maintain in the military, reminding me of how proud of her I was. She could figure out how to make such contraptions work under such conditions and maintained by such simple creatures.

Like most tasks in Kate’s life, aerospace engineer eventually became too dull and she found new prospects in data analysis for large tech companies, where she was able to pick and choose the balance of fun work environment and challenging problem solving. While it is easy to be blinded by Kate’s genius abilities, her wild and crazy need for fun was by far my most memorable trait of hers. Whether it was the crazy contraptions we made to ride down large hills, the spontaneous journeys she took around the world, or wild friends she purposefully sought out; I can’t imagine anyone who didn’t try to enjoy life as much as she did.

The hardest truth for me is, when it came to being happy, my sister struggled with that goal harder than anyone I’ve ever met. Behind her brilliant smile and crazed laughter was a painful life she always tried to overcome. A great many years of Kate’s adult life was spent in great internalized pain, dealing with disease and anger brought upon her at an early age and never truly recovered from, even though she fought like hell to overcome such pain. Having seen what she endured during our childhood and the amount of torment she overcame to be the inspiration we all know today, no one is a as proud of her then me. I love you, Katie. While all who know you are in pain with your lost, my solace is that you are hurting no more.

Two heartfelt verses and a message of love from the family that will always love Katie:

“Shoot for the moon.

Even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.”

A beautiful life

That came to an end,

She died as she lived,

Everyone’s friend.

In our hearts,

A memory

Will always be kept,

Of one we loved,

And will never forget.

We know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. Kate continues to participate in every act, thought, and decision we make. Her love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. Kate remains in our hearts forever.

All are welcome to sign the online guestbook below and add any messages or stories for the Davis family.