Mary Katherine Goff

Mary Katherine "Katie" Goff earned her angel wings after a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer, on November 15, 2025. She left this life exactly as she lived it: surrounded by immense love, held closely by her family, and displaying her signature grace.
Katie was born on October 31, 1978, the fourth of five children in a very close-knit family. Though her given name was Mary Katherine, she went exclusively by "Katie" from the moment she arrived, a nickname chosen by her big brother Joey after his elementary-school crush.
From the beginning, Katie's brilliance was her emotional intelligence. She understood people in a way few ever do. She saw people-what they valued, what they needed, what would make them feel loved-and she spent her life making sure they felt exactly that. No one embodied thoughtfulness the way Katie did. She kept notes on her phone of passing comments and tiny seeds of gift ideas so she could surprise the people she loved with presents that were not just thoughtful but deeply personal. Her creativity spilled into every part of her life: her beautifully wrapped gifts, her seasonal home decor, her handmade crafts, and her ability to sit at the piano and make up an original melody on the spot. Her home was a warm, cozy, well-collected haven, the kind of place where you instantly felt at ease.
Katie's greatest joy, purpose, and calling was motherhood. Her son, Gavin Tremaine, was her heart and soul. She approached parenting with an openness and a refreshing willingness to talk about anything because she wanted Gavin to grow up to be a confident and secure young man. Their bond was extraordinary, built on deep trust and unconditional love. Anyone who saw them together could feel it instantly. Gavin is, in every way, the living continuation of her kindness, humor, bravery, and goodness.
Before Gavin was born, Katie left her job as a preschool teacher to become the nanny for her young nieces and nephews, caring for them from the time they were infants and remaining a steady force of comfort and guidance throughout their lives. Giana, her goddaughter, had a particularly special relationship with her Auntie Katie and was often spoken of as the "daughter she never had." Though Gavin was her only biological child, she had an endless supply of maternal love. The children she helped raise viewed her as a second mother, and their bond with her remained strong into adulthood, a testament to the important role she played in shaping their lives and values.
When the kids grew to school age, Katie joined the family business, Goff's Enterprises, where she quickly became indispensable. She was the kind of person who made the workplace feel like a community. She earned her colleagues' respect with an incredible work ethic and formed friendships with employees of all stripes.
But above all, Katie's world revolved around her family. She adored her parents, Frances (Googie) and Robert (Bob) Goff, who lovingly cared for her during her illness, just as she had always cared for them. She was the beloved sister of Tony Goff, Joey Goff, Angela Chmura (Mark), and Gina Goff (Chris Hardcastle). Katie was always the ringleader of family time, the one who made sure trips were planned, holidays were celebrated, and everyone gathered, even when coordinating schedules felt impossible. She valued togetherness more than anything.
During her illness, two of her closest friends, Jen Ostapowich and Patrice Fedel, stepped into roles that only the truest of friends could fill. They took her to appointments, stayed by her bedside, advocated for her needs, and communicated with her family when they were far away. Their loyalty, love, and unwavering presence were gifts beyond measure. Her circle of loved ones also included lifelong friends like her "adopted" brother Joe Hite and longtime sister-in-law Dawn Goff, who loved her from early childhood.
In addition to her cherished son, parents, siblings, and friends, Katie is survived by her loving nieces and nephews, including Chace and Faith Goff, Mason, Nolan, and Giana Gende, Ella Raap, Dylan and Dyson Chmura, and countless aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues, and friends whose lives she touched with her kindness. She shared a devoted co-parenting partnership with her ex-husband, Matt Tremaine.
Her legacy will be measured not in the years she lived, but in the love she gave. Her absence leaves an unimaginable ache, but the light she brought into the world remains, living on in her son, her family, and everyone lucky enough to have been loved by her.
A celebration of Katie's life will be held at St. Dominic Catholic Parish in Brookfield on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Visitation from 11am-1:30pm; mass at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the This Time Tomorrow Foundation http://www.thistimetomorrow.org/ co-founded in 2011 by her brother Tony. The foundation uses music and the arts to raise funds that provide direct financial support to families facing financial hardship due to a cancer diagnosis. 100% of donations go directly to those in need, a mission that reflects Katie's spirit of generosity.