Katherine Coakley Vitt

Katherine Coakley Vitt

May 14, 1982 – February 17, 2026

Katherine Coakley Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, California, died on February 17, 2026, while backcountry skiing near Lake Tahoe. She was a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.

Kate was born on May 14, 1982, in Denver, Colorado, to Peter and Pam Coakley. Kate’s light shone bright from the beginning and she was a devoted big sister to her brother Chris. In an often retold story, Kate shared her pair of Rollerblades with Chris so they could hobble and glide through the neighborhood together — a reflection of a lifelong closeness in which each looked up to the other. She displayed an early aptitude for Irish Step Dance that ignited a passion that would come to define her approach to everything in life: quietly relentless, deeply graceful, and always warm. Years later, if the hour was late enough and the company was fun enough, you might have been lucky to see her break out a jig or two on her surgically repaired ankles — she still had it.

Kate graduated from Kent Denver School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Boston College. Kate’s career led her from a fellowship at the United States Golf Association, to the Summer and Winter Olympics on three continents, and ultimately to Pandora/SiriusXM, where she most recently was a Vice President managing teams from San Francisco to Bucharest.

In San Francisco, Geoffrey Vitt was lucky enough to meet Kate and they married in 2011, together building a life rooted in outdoor adventure, deep friendships, and unwavering devotion to their family. Kate felt genuinely blessed to live in Marin County and to be surrounded by nature. She was forever organizing the next hike, the next ski trip, the next outing — dragging family and friends along on adventures they never would have had without her. Over the years, they formed a wide and loyal circle of friends, drawn by Kate’s innate gift for making people feel both energized and completely at ease.

Above all, Kate loved being a mother to her two spirited boys, Charlie (10) and Will (8). She was a devoted presence in their classrooms and a committed volunteer in her community. She brought the same boundless energy to motherhood that she brought to everything — fully present, fully engaged, fully joyful. Not surprisingly, Charlie and Will already share their mother's spirit — her love of the outdoors, her energy, her willingness to say yes to the next adventure.

Kate lived with unbridled energy. She sought adventure — hiking, skiing, live music, travel—and wherever she was, she was all in. She was a gatherer, a connector, someone who collected friendships wherever she went and nurtured them with intention. She moved through life with great joy and gratitude, and she lived it fully.

She is survived by her husband, Geoffrey Vitt; her sons, Charlie and Will; her parents, Peter and Pam Coakley; her brother, Chris Coakley (Ashley); her mother-in-law, Noelle Vitt; her father-in-law, Geoffrey Vitt; her sister-in-law, Alexis Ryan (Lex Hrabe); her brother-in-law, Peter Vitt; and her beloved nieces and nephew, Isadora and Wallis Hrabe, and Collins and Cora Coakley.

A celebration of Kate’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at The Clubhouse at Peacock Gap, 333 Biscayne Drive, San Rafael, California. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Marin County Parks.

The family extends deep gratitude to the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue team and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office for their heroic efforts and diligent professionalism.