Renée Klosterman-Power
Dec. 4, 1955 – Aug. 26, 2009
‘The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it’s the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his
friendship.’
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Renée’s career is varied and impressive – she was even one of the first female TV news photographers! But more importantly, her life and work were dedicated to serving others and through the years, she inspired countless lives. She was a devoted mother and had a beautiful relationship with her daughter, Kourtnei. She loved people, writing, being outdoors, dogs, skiing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hiking.
When working for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, she developed innovative programs for youth that earned her national recognition.
‘Over 22 years ago, Renée, you first touched my life when I was a high school student…What an instrument of change you have been in my life over the years as a mentor and an encourager!’ wrote Cathie Seibert, now an elementary school Teacher of the Year, in a touching letter. ‘Your example reminds me as a teacher to see the potential in my students.’
An ardent proponent of social justice, she used video and writing to enable people to tell their story. For more than 10 years, Renée worked as a producer for Department of Information Services (DIS) in Olympia, leading the multimedia production team. She also freelanced for Northwest Indian News, a catalyst for lifelong work with Native Americans. During this time, she produced a video related to fetal alcohol syndrome in Native American children, which earned her an Emmy nomination.
Renée was a valued Moonshine Ink reporter. Even though she was grossly overqualified, she was proud of her business card, naming her as a journalist.
‘Everyone loved to work with her because she brought her zest for life to everything she touched, and her enthusiasm and artistry were contagious,’ DIS wrote in a note about Renée’s passing.
Renee graduated from Washington State summa cum laude with a Communications major, and Sociology minor. Proof of her quiet strength, whilst dealing with her first round of cancer, she earned a Masters of Public Administration degree in Tribal Governance in June 2006.
Her sparkling intellect, ready smile, classic beauty and amazing capacity for compassion were an inspiration. We miss you deeply, Renée.
~ Moonshine Ink
Fly On Renée
Because your body can no longer fight, I wish for you a peaceful transition to whatever comes next. My wish for you, my friend Renée.
~ August 25, 2009, 10:30 p.m
The Tahoe community was blessed with Renée Klosterman-Power as a resident for too short a time for most people to get to know her. That is unfortunate. Her spirit was beautiful.
I met Renée in September 2006 when I signed up for a somewhat guided trip to canoe the Green River in Utah with the Women’s Wilderness Institute out of Boulder, Colorado. We camped on giant sandy beaches, swam naked in the sunshine and solitude of the river and red rock canyon walls, and shared our writing with the support and encouragement of Pam Houston, the celebrated novelist of ‘Sighthound.’ It was an all women’s trip, and for five days we lived together on what we carried with us in those canoes. We wrote about our lives; we shared our laughter and our tears.
Renée was a valiant fighter who survived breast cancer in 2004. During the trip, she shared her writing from that time, hilariously entitled ‘The Year of the Boob,’ a piece sparked by the dilemma over Janet Jackson’s exposed breast during the Super Bowl, at a time Renée was exposing hers for a much less fortunate reason.
I so admired Renee and her strength of survival, her friendliness and passion for life. Her energy was like a light brightening the sky and yet it was always serene, a result of her very spiritual nature.
On the January following the Green River trip, she came to visit me and see the Tahoe blue sky and sunshine. She was raised on the Olympic peninsula in Washington, had climbed Mt. Rainier and skied like a bad ass. We went cross-country skiing and sledding and laughed so hard from rolling around in the snow.
The love story is what came next. I took her to the airport and when she got in line at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter to check her skis, the voice of a handsome Brit caught her attention. They talked in the boarding area and sat together on the plane to Seattle (got to love free range seating on Southwest for this very reason!). Jared extended his trip to meet up with Renée, and the rest as they say, is history.
By summer, lucky for Jared, Renée was willing to move to Tahoe City and start a new life with him – her best love yet, her white knight, her soul mate. Their wedding was on the anniversary of the weekend they met, on top of Homewood Ski Resort.
It was a clear blue day like only Tahoe can provide, making the snow sparkle like diamonds as the newlyweds skied off into happily ever after.
Until now. By November, Renée began experiencing shortness of breath and a never-ending cough. The doctors at Tahoe Forest couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Only upon return to her oncologist in Olympia was the worst confirmed. Her cancer had returned. Only this time it had spread to her lungs, her lymph nodes, and her bones. Ever the optimist, Renée elected to fight like the dickens. She began chemotherapy the first week of June.
Everyone knows how the story ends. Surrounded by her family, her mother, her daughter, her loving husband, and so many of her friends, her suffering ended at 8:30 a.m. on August 26, 2009.
Fly on Renée. May your spirit soar with the eagles over the Puget Sound.
~ Alison Bermant
Renée Klosterman-Power is survived by a greatly loved daughter, Kourtnei Nibler; her husband, Jared Power; her mother, Barbara Miller; sister, Tina Anderson; brother, Eric Klosterman; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Renée’s life will occur in the Longhouse on the grounds of The Evergreen State College Sunday, September 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted by all Heritage Bank branches for the: Renée Klosterman-Power Memorial Fund.
