Celebrating the Life of Katie Eterno
Mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, teacher, writer, and so much more.
Thank You for Celebrating Katie
Thank you so much for sharing your love and support with Katie’s family.
To those of you who were able to attend Katie’s Celebration of Life on Sunday, August 30, 2026, we are so glad you were able to join us in honoring her memory. We had people in attendance from all over the country — we had guests from Colorado, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. It was a real testament to Katie. She was a conduit for community — she showed up for others, and it meant a lot that you showed up for her and her family.
To those of you who were able to share photos and memories of Katie, thank you! Many people have been visiting the memory board again and again, and we hope that it has helped you remember the many good times you shared with Katie. The photos and memories were also a wonderful addition to Katie’s Celebration of Life.
The Celebrate.Katies.Life webpage is going to remain up for the foreseeable future. We are hoping that you will continue adding your photos and memories. Our plan is to put together digital photo frames for Katie’s children and family, as well as some printed books. The more photos and memories you share, the better — so thank you, and please keep them coming!
Katie Eterno Memorial Scholarship Fund
Katie was a teacher and educator passionate about literacy and reading, deeply invested in both her students’ and her colleagues’ success. Her family has created a scholarship fund to honor her legacy and her love of reading by offering scholarships to students pursuing degrees in education, with a special emphasis on literature and arts education.
The fund is held at Bold.org, a 501(c)(3). Contributions are 100% tax-deductible, no fees are taken out, and every dollar goes directly to scholarship recipients.
In Lieu of Flowers
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation in Katie’s name to one of her favorite charities, or the cause of your choosing.
Meal Train
A meal train has been set up to help John and the kids in the weeks ahead. If you would like to bring a meal, you can pick a date that works for you and see what would be most helpful for the family.
Share Your Photos
Please share any special photos you have with Katie here. Photos are shared with Katie’s family only, unless you choose to share them with website members when submitting. Selected photos were shown during Katie’s Celebration of Life, and everything shared here is being gathered into digital photo frames for Katie’s children and family, and into printed books.
Share a Memory
Please share any special written memories and stories you have about Katie. They are collected and compiled into a book for Katie’s family, alongside the photos. Memories are shared with Katie’s family only, unless you choose to share them with website members when submitting.
There is no deadline, and there is no such thing as too small a memory — the ordinary moments are often the ones her family most wants to keep.
In Loving Memory
Kathryn Beth Eterno · April 17, 1985 – August 21, 2026
Kathryn Beth Eterno — Katie to her family and friends — unexpectedly passed away on August 21, 2026, at the age of 41 due to rare complications that arose during orthopedic surgery. Katie was — and is — loved by so many people. She not only had an indelible impact on the lives of her family, her friends, her students and colleagues, and countless others, she also chose to be an organ donor, giving others another chance. Katie brought life and joy into this world, and the world was better for having her in it.
Katie was born Kathryn Beth Wilber on April 17, 1985, in Fairfax, Virginia. She grew up in the South Run community surrounded by a close-knit group of neighbors, and she had an almost sitcom-like childhood with kids coming and going from her house as they pleased. Katie was the definition of a precocious kid. Encouraged by her wonderful and loving parents, she was an early and voracious reader. She was a quick thinker. She challenged people. If you know her family, you may suspect this quality to be genetic. She loved music and dancing. She loved trying to talk her brother into writing a musical with her.
As both a child and an adult, Katie was a person people were drawn to. She was gregarious, but she was also content to quietly focus all her attention on you. She was witty and thoughtful, a good listener and problem solver. Nobody felt bigger feelings. Sometimes that made periods in her life difficult, but her ability to love fiercely and accept the fierce love of others helped her get through those times. And, on the other side of it all was the incredible life she built with John.
Katie and John married on September 1, 2012, and proceeded to have their own family. They welcomed Owen into the world on November 27, 2015. They later welcomed Everette on August 6, 2018. Katie was an incredibly dedicated mother. She was so proud of both Owen and Everette for everything from their hard work in school and academic achievements, to their success on the soccer field and tennis court, to their theatrical performances and piano-playing prowess. She was also just plain proud, because they are great kids. Her great kids. She loved them with her whole heart.
Katie worked as a teacher and Assistant Principal. But her education career started much earlier. She spent time helping out in her mother’s classroom when she was in middle and high-school, directing the 6th grade plays and generally pitching in over the years. Katie earned her B.A. from the College of William & Mary in 2007, and her M.Ed. from the University of Virginia in 2008. She later added a principal’s license. Katie started at John R. Lewis High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, and South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. After moving to Colorado, she continued at the Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School, serving as a teacher, International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator, and instructional coach; and then at Rose Stein International Elementary School, she served as an IB Coordinator and instructional coach, both in Lakewood, Colorado. She then became the Assistant Principal at Moore Middle School in Arvada, Colorado. In her most recent position, she served as the Gifted and Talented (GT) Program Coordinator at Casey Middle School in Boulder, Colorado.
Katie’s legacy includes the lifelong love of learning and literacy that she imparted to her children and students. She is survived by her husband, John Eterno; her children, Owen and Everette; her parents Clyde and Jean Wilber; her brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Caitlan Wilber, and their children Arden and Harrison; her sister- and brother-in-law Teresa and Jay Lehtinen, and their children Mia and Timmy; and her in-laws, John and Becky Eterno.
Katie was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
The Memory Board
Friends and family have already begun sharing. The memory board collects everything they have written alongside the photos of Katie they have sent in.