Katherine “Kathie” Koenig, 78, of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, was born on July 29, 1947, in West Bend, Wisconsin, and passed away on January 14, 2026. Kathie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Her life was marked by curiosity, compassion, and a remarkable gift for bringing people together.

High school sweethearts, Kathie and Richard “Rich” Koenig were married in 1969. Together they made a home for their family of five in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. The Lake View home was always a gathering place for friends, neighbors, and family, filled with conversation, laughter, and the feeling that everyone was welcome. Rich passed away on November 8, 2025, just two months before Kathie, after 56 years of marriage.

Deeply inquisitive at heart, Kathie pursued her studies with purpose and a desire to impact the wellbeing of others. She graduated from Cardinal Stritch University with a degree in Religious Studies before earning a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She flourished in a lifelong study of faith, spirituality, mindfulness, and meditation. She was perpetually in pursuit of understanding that might guide others through healing. Her career was dedicated to helping people through difficult times by providing support and grief counseling through Employee Assistance Programs and individual therapy. Her steady presence and empathetic spirit helped many find footing during loss, transition, and stress.

She applied her positive approach to build community: leading mindfulness and meditation meetings in her home for over a decade. As the groups grew, she welcomed newcomers with warmth and ease. Her meetings made a profound impact, inspiring many of the attendees to go on to become teachers in their own right.

A consummate host, she was famous for taking the lead on events that felt special and effortless. If you were the one to be celebrated, she made sure you got the “You are Special” red plate! From lively card-game nights, “Lordy, Look Who’s 40” birthdays, New Year’s Eve celebrations, and pre-prom gatherings, to high school football spaghetti dinners and numerous holiday parties through the years, she set the tone with good food, laughter, and long conversations in the family and dining rooms.

Her holiday tables were unforgettable: crown roast, lamb shank, or tenderloin, alongside family favorites like corn casserole and hash brown casserole. When others hosted, her most requested dishes to pass were her salads. Birthdays regularly included her famous Heath Bar cake. She especially delighted in the many children who filled her home over the years, decorating gingerbread houses with neighborhood friends, hosting Easter egg hunts in the backyard, Camp Kathie, and gathering everyone around the fireplace on Christmas morning for the joy of opening presents.
Kathie is survived by her three children: Mark (Janeen Hayward) Koenig, Brian (Haley Papageorge) Koenig, and Luke (Sheila) Koenig. She is further survived by her grandchildren Scarlett, Tallulah, James, and Greta. She is also survived by her siblings: Susan (Bruce) Barrow, Martha Smithback, and Sara Powell; sisters-in-law Barbara Anderson, Cheryl Anderson, Sue Trepte, and Diane Koenig; and her brother-in-law Al Koenig.
Kathie is preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Richard "Rich" Koenig; her parents, Jac and Kay (O'Neill) Anderson; siblings J. Stephen Anderson and Christopher Anderson; parents-in-law Marvin and Rosilie (Mauel) Koenig; sister-in-law Christine Palmer; brothers-in-law Eric Smithback, Terry Trepte, and George Palmer; and nephew Steven Trepte.
A memorial service will be held at 11am on Friday, May 15th, at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, 521 Congress Drive, Newburg, WI 53090. Following the service, family and friends are invited to a celebration of the lives of Kathie and Rich at 1:00 p.m. in the first-floor auditorium at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 1111 E. Brown Deer Road, Bayside, WI.

The Koenig Family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the team at Silverado Memory Care in Glendale, WI for their exceptional warmth, friendship, compassion, and kindness during Kathie’s time under their care.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (Cure Alzheimer's fund),a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research with the highest probability of preventing, slowing, or reversing Alzheimer’s disease.
Kathie will be remembered for her warmth, her gentle wisdom, and the way she made everyone feel truly welcome.

https://curealz.org/outreach/in-memory/katherine-koenig/