In Memory of Patti Kaech

Patricia “Patti” Kaech passed away peacefully in her home on February 13, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was 63 years old.

Patti was born in Winterhur, Switzerland on June 5, 1962, to Brigitta (nee Rubin) and Franz Käch. When Patti was 12, she and Brigitta emigrated to the United States with Patti’s stepfather, Henry Gustai, who had relocated for work to Los Altos, CA. Patti adapted quickly to her new environment, becoming a cheerleader and popular figure at Los Altos high school, graduating in 1981.

While earning her bachelor's in international marketing from San Francisco State University she met her first husband, Holt Loeffler, while dancing at the Ivy on Haight Street. In 1986 the two relocated to the Florida Keys, marrying that same year. The couple welcomed a son in 1990, followed by daughter Hailey in 1992. After working at the local marina for a period, Patti got her first (but not last) real estate license while Holt founded a successful landscaping business. But the call of adventure was never far away, and soon they had purchased a sailboat and spent the next year island-hopping throughout the Caribbean with their young family.

After landing in Venezuela, they sold their boat and went searching for a permanent home out West. Outdoor enthusiasts, they were drawn to Colorado and intended to check out Telluride—but on the advice of a realtor, they made a stop-over in Crested Butte. They never made it to Telluride, falling in love with the Gunnison Valley and putting down roots. There they raised their kids and became pillars of the community, with Patti first landing a job working for a property management company, followed by 10 years at a small investor relations boutique.
After this first marriage ended in divorce, Patti met and married Justin Feder, with whom she had a third child, Ellie, in 2006. They lived in several locations in Crested Butte, but the family’s favorite was the off-grid community of Wild Bird, where they had to pull their groceries and little Ellie to and from the house via a sled in winter. Both older children attended Crested Butte Community High School and stayed nearby, with Hailey going on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Western Colorado University and launching a successful gardening business.

Patti and Justin relocated in 2012 to Paonia, where Patti worked at public radio station KVNF before once again acquiring her real estate license. A prominent personality in the Paonia community over the next 14 years, she is responsible for matching hundreds of clients with their dream homes in the North Fork Valley. Here Ellie attended the Montessori School in Crawford; the Paonia Experiential Leadership Academy for high school, graduating in 2024; and is currently a sophomore at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

Patti was a devoted supporter of the arts community in Paonia and was a regular presence at Final Fridays, events at the Paradise Theater, and the many unique events Paonia has to offer, including Harvest Fest, Pickin’ in the Park, and the Arbol Farmer’s Market. Over the past five years, she found a passion for genealogy as well as meditation and collective/ancestral trauma healing under the direction of her spiritual teacher, Thomas Hübl.

Patti’s journey with cancer began with a seizure in May of 2025, which led to the discovery of an invasive high-grade glioma on the left side of her brain. In spite of dedicating herself to alternative paths to healing, she ultimately could not beat this difficult-to-treat cancer diagnosis.

She is survived by her father Franz Käch of Australia; sister Nadia Käch, of Germany; half-sisters Antoinette (Switzerland) and Tonya Käch (Australia); her son and his partner; daughter Hailey Loeffler (and partner Josh McEwen) of Gunnison; daughter Ellie Feder, currently of Colorado Springs; five beloved grandchildren; her former husband Justin Feder; and too many close friends to count. She is preceded in death by her mother and stepfather, Brigitta and Henry Gustai.

It is no exaggeration to say Patti will be uniquely missed within the Paonia community. A celebration of Patti’s vibrant life is currently being planned for early summer 2026, at a location to be announced in Paonia.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Patti’s honor to KVNF (www.kvnf.org).