Kimberly D. Feldhaus

Obituary Kimberly Diane Feldhaus died in Tuesday February 3, 2009, after a courageous 9 year battle with cancer at the age of 48. She was born in Tacoma, WA on September 16, 1960, the youngest child of Stan and Mary Anne Schack who were long-time residents of Tacoma for over 70 years. She was a teacher for the Tacoma School District for over 20 years and beloved by her students and colleagues. She leaves behind her husband of 26 years, Mark Feldhaus and family members who include Wendy Schack Sleisher currently of Boise, Idaho, Jim Sleisher her husband and adopted daughter Claire-Marie Sleisher, age 15, Kim's two older brothers Mike and Jeff Schack and their wives Sue Mormon Schack (Chicago, IL) and Paula Kohls (Spokane, WA) and two nephews Jake and Ben Schack. Kim will be treasured for her dedication to the teaching of children, her optimism, strength and courage. Her friends and family will miss her always. From her sister Wendy at the time of Kim's Memorial Mass on Thursday, February 5, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Tacoma, Washington, the place of Kim's Baptism, Confirmation and first Holy Communion. "My beloved sister Kim was a wanted child. After two brothers I prayed for a baby sister and one of my clearest childhood memories is my grandma answering the phone call from the Tacoma General Hospital and announcing "It's a girl!" I was thrilled! I do not ever recall fighting with my sister Kim or finding her annoying as I did my younger brothers. I loved her with all my heart. She was eight years younger than me and I was proud to be the big sister of such a smart, cute little girl. I even loved it when Mom made us matching outfits. I missed a lot of Kim's teenage years because I was away at college. It is not easy for the baby of four high achievers to make her mark in the world, but Kim was always up for a challenge. After graduating from St. Charles Borromeo School and Wilson High, she went to Western Washington State University in Bellingham to get a teaching degree. From there she joined the Peace Corps for two years and lived in Tunisia, North Africa to work with physically and mentally handicapped children and their families. She came home to the US and started teaching in the Tacoma Public Schools. Being a teacher became a passion for Kim. It was a venue for sharing her creativity, enthusiasm and love for learning with children to whom she dedicated her life. Kim became a favorite teacher for many children and an inspiration for her teaching colleagues. It was often Kim who would be the advocate for change in her school or in the District which she served for over twenty years. One of her favorite years of teaching was when she and her husband Mark went to teach for a private school in Pereira, Columbia. Kim loved the Spanish people and culture and even after her return to the states continued to learn Spanish and kept up on her salsa dancing. Kim was always a graceful athletic and good in sports. She could have had a career as a professional dance instructor. She might have even made it in the theatre- she was quite a gifted actress. She had a short career as a professional singer in a swing band with me. But her heart was always trying to make a difference in the lives of children. When she gave herself time away from the classroom, she loved sailing with her husband Mark and even lived on a boat with him for ten years. Kim liked to keep life simple. She loved the outdoors. She dreamed about traveling through Europe and teaching there. She had an aptitude for languages and had already learned Arabic, French and Spanish. It never was to be, inspite of her persistence in trying to make that happen. Kim got breast cancer in 1999 and resigned herself with grace to the need to postpone her trip abroad. Kim was fearless in her battle with cancer and always remained positive and hopeful that she would beat it and beat it she did. And this is while she earned her Masters Degree in Education. In her fourth year of remission however, the cancer came back, this time with a vengeance. It invaded her entire body- her bones, spine, brain, liver. And never once did we ever hear her complain or lose hope. Kim always had a good sense of humor, and she never wanted anyone to feel sorry for her. She was always making jokes and trying to help people feel at ease being with her. We tried to talk her into getting a wig, but Kim wasn't one for anything fake. More importantly, she felt that her bald head may invite others to approach her who might need to talk about their cancer. Kim was always thinking about how she could help others even as she struggled with her own trials. We were always amazed by her optimism, always looking on the bright side of things. People that have known her have been in awe of her strength and courage throughout this nine year battle with cancer. At the Franciscan Hospice where Kim spent her last few days, there was a steady flow of people who came to see her and say goodbye. I tried to talk with many of her visitors. They all would say how much they admired Kim for her strength of character and loved her for her wonderful sense of humor and spirit. On behalf of our family, I want to thank you all for your loving support to my Mom and Dad and for your many years of faith-filled prayer for Kim's healing of body and soul. We feel confident that these prayers have been heard and answered in the way that is best for Kim."