Kirsten Marie Farnsworth, 32, died surrounded by family at home in Lafayette, Colorado on May 30, 2018. She was in peace and comfort after six years with cancer.
Kirsten was born on April 23,1986 in Findlay, Ohio, to Karl and Hege Farnsworth, the second of five children. She was a beautiful, bright and delightful child with incredible creativity, intellect and talent. She was adored by her family near home and in Norway. The family moved as she grew up to Germany, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Kirsten later settled in Colorado as an adult.
Kirsten earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in classical piano from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Colorado. She played beautifully solo or with family or friends, at home and in recitals. She played often as member of the Orquesta Tipica Natural Tango at the Mercury Cafe in Denver. She had a wide circle of musician friends, many of whom played to comfort her in hospice.
In September 2012, Kirsten married the “love of her life” Dan Kuester and was diagnosed two months later. Their marriage was shadowed by cancer, yet they lived and loved fully. Dan has been a source of incredible support and strength to Kirsten. They built a life together, traveling outdoors, advancing in their careers, and adopting their adorable rescue pup, Sputnik.
Her dear friend wrote “the list of words I could use to describe Kirsten is long - adventurous, magnanimus, loyal, creative, talented, ambitious, passionate, tenacious, friendly, and kind, just to name a few. She was a high achiever and a great mind - a musician, an artist, and a writer.”
In 2015, during aggressive cancer treatment, Kirsten earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado. She thrived and was hired soon after by Medtronic. She last served as Strategic Planning Principal. A manager reflected that she “brought an intellectual curiosity, a passion for improving healthcare, and kind hearted approach to our group and will be dearly missed.”
Kirsten is survived by her husband, Dan Kuester, parents Hege and Karl Farnsworth, sister Katrina Crosby (Daniel) and children Charlotte, Liam, and Lola, brothers Erik, Jonathan (McKenzie) and Jacob, parents-in-law, Ed and Nancy Kuester, sisters-in-law Nicolee and Annalise Kuester, grandparents Darlene and Will van Werkhoven and Bodil and Joel Nadler, and beloved rescue pup Sputnik.
Through suffering in illness, she found joy, strength, and resolve. She said,
“It’s easy to have appreciation of those big moments in life: the anniversaries, closing on a house, graduation, landing that job you’ve always wanted, traveling to remote and gorgeous places. The past five years I have developed perhaps an even deeper appreciation for those beautiful “small” moments: drinking tea by the fire with Dan and our pup, listening to records, enjoying a tasty meal, sharing a good long laugh with a friend, playing the piano, taking in a good view, etc. You can choose to find joy amidst the fatigue, sickness, and endless doctor visits. You can choose to continue living, setting goals, making plans, and making memories. And I have. I’m viewing my five years as a success. And, I am beating cancer, regardless of whether I end up beating cancer.”
As she learned these lessons she focused on bonding closely with loved ones, travel, and writing on her experiences in her book, Incurable. She poured her heart and soul into this last work until her last week in hospice. The first printed copy arrived in her hands two hours before she passed.
Speaking of her friends and family in her book, she wrote:
“I trust more strongly than ever now that these relationships will continue. They are what this life is about. These relationships and our souls will absolutely continue to exist in a place of love and beauty.”
Consider donating in Kirsten’s name to Livestrong, Cleaning for a Reason, or First Descents, which provided support during her illness.