Kim was born on November 15, 1957 in Highland Park, Michigan to Charles and Jean Godfrey. She passed away the evening of September 19, 2015 in the presence of her family and friends at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington after a courageous battle against a rare form of cancer.

Kim grew up in Redford Township, Michigan with her Mom and Dad, her big sister, Donna and her little brother, Jay. She graduated from Redford Union High School in 1975.

After graduation, Kim chose to follow in the footsteps of her father and sister and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. She completed basic training at Cape May, New Jersey and graduated from Yeoman School in Petaluma, California. Kim was then stationed at the Coast Guard Recruiting Office in Detroit, followed by an assignment to Coast Guard Base Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Milwaukee, Kim had the pleasure of throwing out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game in honor of Armed Forces Day. In 1979, Kim was transferred to the Ninth Coast Guard District Office in Cleveland, Ohio where she met and married Don Knesebeck, a fellow "coastie" assigned to the district staff.

The Knesebeck family expanded in July 1980, with the birth of their first child, Jeff. Following Jeff's arrival, Kim decided to leave the Coast Guard to focus on being "Mom" and to support Don as he continued his Coast Guard career. The family continued to grow with the arrival of Jeni on News Year Eve 1981 and Joshua in May of 1984. While they enjoyed living in Kodiak, Alaska and Cleveland, Ohio, the vast majority of their time together was spent in the Seattle area.

In 1990, Kim began her life with her "second family" when she was hired as a Health Unit Coordinator in the Emergency Department at Valley Medical Center in Renton. She continued in that role for 23 years, when she was forced to retire in 2013 due to declining health. She absolutely loved working at the Valley ER and dearly loved her co-workers. Apparently, the feeling was mutual, which was demonstrated by the outpouring of support and emotion that Kim and her family experienced, as Kim's visits to the emergency room became more frequent due to her progressing illness.

The family faced some significant challenges over the course of Don's Coast Guard career, including several long deployments during critical periods of the kids' lives. Despite those challenges, Kim provided the anchor for the family, maintaining the household and raising three teenagers, all while dealing with the challenges of working in the hectic tempo of the ER. Unfortunately, some of those stresses took a toll on their marriage, and Kim and Don chose to divorce in 2003 after nearly 25 years of marriage. Despite their separation Don and Kim remained close friends to the end.

During her time with the emergency department, Kim's family continued to grow with new relationships, marriages and the births of Kim's three grandchildren. She cherished all of the moments she spent with Kaci, Teagan and Kayden and they loved cuddling with "Grandma Kim". The tenderness they displayed toward Kim as she lost her health battle was nothing short of precious.

Kim is survived by her Mother, sister and brother; her children, Jeff Knesebeck, Jeni Woodman and her husband Richard; and, Joshua Knesebeck and his wife Nicole; her beloved grandchildren Kaci, Teagan and Kayden; and, Kaci's mother Tracy Chrnalogar. Kim would also want to give a special "shout out" to her dearest friends, Sandy Evans, Shelly Socci, and JoAnne Grant.

The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance - http://www.seattlecca.org/scca-make-a-donation.cfm or the Amyloidosis Foundation - http://www.amyloidosis.org