Kate Metz Marchevskova

(11/24/1957 – 4/11/2025)

Throughout Kate Metz Marchevskova’s life there were important threads that shaped her and brought those who loved her together around her. Kate was passionate about her friends, she loved her work in caring for others, cherished her co-workers, and was deeply rooted in her spiritual path as a Zen student and Dharma teacher. Kate was born and raised in Indiana, in a family of four, including her parents and Ken, her older brother. They lived in a leafy suburb of old growth oak trees, in a neighborhood surrounded by her aunts, uncles and cousins. She attended Indiana University where she lived in a small dorm called Spanish House.  There she developed a life-long bond with a close circle of friends: Brenda, Pat and Mark.

After receiving her BA in Spanish, Kate travelled to Nicaragua, during a chaotic time when a revolutionary government was taking hold. Kate had a serious car accident where she broke her back, and ended up lying on a mattress in a hospital hallway as there were no beds available in the wards. The hospital was short-staffed and overwhelmed. In this difficult situation everyone helped each other by sharing food, providing a gentle ear or an arm to move to a new location. She was deeply moved by the help she received and the help she was able to give to others, and a devotion to helping others took deep root in her consciousness. By the time she returned to Indiana, she had decided to become a nurse, and went back to school. 

She graduated in the 80’s, during the time when HIV and AIDS were decimating the lives of young men, and she signed up as a county nurse, stepping into the lives of those suffering from this unknown epidemic. In the early 90’s, Kate moved to Seattle and began working at Bailey-Boushay House, the first dedicated AIDS hospice in the country. Those years of holding unending suffering took a toll, and in order to continue her work, to keep looking into the heart of suffering, she realized that she would need a spiritual practice for support. She soon found a spiritual home in the practice of Buddhist meditation and mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.  She began to meditate and attend retreats with a Seattle sangha, and eventually went to Plum Village in southern France, where she joined the Order of Interbeing, taking the 14 Precepts with Thich Nhat Hanh.  

From this time forward, Kate practiced with her teacher, Eileen Kiera, at Mountain Lamp Community and within the Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound. Within Sangha as well as in her work, Kate was known for her kindness and welcoming spirit, as well as her excellent cooking. Some of her greatest earthly pleasures involved shopping, and cooking international foods for her friends, which she did whenever she was able, up until the week before she returned to the hospital near the end of her life.

In the early 2000’s, Kate moved to Mexico City, where she taught English, and started the first mindfulness Sangha in Mexico. Her mother, Delores, had already been living in Oaxaca for many years, and Kate was physically close enough to support her mother in her health challenges as she aged. After about 10 years, Kate returned to Seattle and to her career as a hospice nurse. Delores joined her, and they continued to live together until her mother’s death at age 99. 

In 2019, Kate received recognition as a Dharma Teacher in the Mountain Lamp tradition, and took on the role of leading her Sangha, Wandering Mountain. After Kate’s teacher, Eileen, retired, she began to study with Genjo Marinello in Seattle. Her practice buoyed herself and others in her work at the Evergreen Hospice Care Center in Kirkland. Her co-worker, Pearl, remembered Kate for her quick wit and humor, making difficult moments at work tolerable, and other times together downright enjoyable. Lisa, Wendy, Kristin and Farshad spoke of Kate’s patience, and dedication to the care of her patients.

In 2023, she took a trip to Oregon with her dear college friends from Spanish House – Brenda, Pat and Mark. Their connection remained as deep and joyful as if no years had passed, and they communicated almost daily through a group text, and through regular phone calls. They had planned another trip together, these friends for more than 50 years, when Kate got sick. All of Kate’s friends remembered her courage, her kindness, her gratitude. And above all, Kate inspired people; her friends, co-workers and acquaintances. She was a treasure and will be deeply missed. Kate died peacefully at the Hospice Care Center where she had worked for many years, on April 11th, 2025, surrounded by her co-workers, family, and friends.