Kate Rusk, 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Born on July 18, 1980, in Redmond, Washington, to Vernon Rusk and Ann Wiley, Kate spent much of her childhood in Albuquerque before being sent to live with family in Montana. She never quite warmed to the cold and wide-open spaces there and was overjoyed to return to New Mexico, where she lived with her sister Karen and brother-in-law Mario in Santa Fe.    

Kate began her adult life with determination, earning her GED and launching a career as a leasing agent for apartments. But at the age of 20, she discovered her greatest passion and purpose: motherhood. The arrival of her daughter, Jenni, lit up her world, and Kate poured her heart into being an extraordinary mother. She was really good at it—really good at everything, in fact. A true Jill of all trades, Kate approached every task with skill, energy, and a quiet competitiveness that meant she often did things better than anyone else around her.    

At 30, she welcomed her son, Jakob, completing her family. When Jakob was just two years old, Kate received a devastating diagnosis of a terminal illness. Doctors gave her a prognosis of perhaps three to four years. What they didn't account for was Kate's fierce will and lion-like tenacity. For the next 13 years, she not only survived but truly thrived. She lived every day to the fullest, raising her children with unwavering love, keeping her home spotless, powering through school projects, baking the best treats, decorating for every holiday, planning trips to Montana which ironically would become her favorite place, attending fairs and fiestas, hanging Christmas lights, tucking her kids in with stories and hugs, and most of all, creating a lifetime of amazing memories. She never seemed sick, never said "I can't." She outworked, out-baked, out-mommed, and out-loved everyone. Kate was invincible in so many eyes—an inspiration to all who knew her. Everyone expected her to live forever.    

She fought through countless scares and hospitalizations with ferocious determination, always putting her children and loved ones first. In the end, a severe infection proved too much after years of battle. Kate was tired; she had given more than enough and deserved to rest. She passed peacefully, going home surrounded by the love she had given so freely.    

Kate was preceded in death by her mother, Ann Wiley; her father, Vernon Rusk; her niece, Miranda Chavez; and her nephew, Marcus Rusk.     She is survived by her beloved daughter, Jenni Rusk; her son, Jakob Bacoccini; her longtime partner, Jeremy Bacoccini; her brother, Wayne Rusk; her sister, Karen Chavez, and Karen's husband, Mario Chavez; her sister, Polly Rusk; and her nephew, Sean , nieces Cassidy, Grace, and Jessie. She leaves behind a legacy of unconditional love, unbreakable strength, and a family forever changed by her light.   

A celebration of Kate's life will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at New Beginnings Church, 4770 Montgomery Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Following the service, family and friends are invited to join for food and fellowship at Skidmore's Holiday Bowl, 7515 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110.    

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Kate's memory to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (phassociation.org), to support research and resources for those affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension.