Thursday, October 1, 2026
Kimberly Roach passed away at her home in Falcon, Colorado, on July 21, 2025.
Kim was born in Bakersfield, California, in May of 1965. Her parents had deep roots in the Puget Sound area. After three summers in the San Joaquin Valley they decided to return home in August 1966. They moved to the Lake City neighborhood in north Seattle. During the next two years her sister and brother joined the family.
In early 1969 the family moved to Lacey, Washington, where Kim started the first grade in 1971. In the early spring of 1972, the Eckloffs moved to their new family home on Kimmie Road, south of Tumwater.
Kim graduated from Tumwater High School in 1983. She attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden Colorado her freshman year of college, then transferred to the University of Washington. She graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology.
After graduating from college, Kim joined the U.S. Army. Aptitude testing showed how exceptionally bright Kim was (everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her already knew this), especially in the language field. Kim attended the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California, where she learned to speak Arabic. She served as an analyst during Desert Storm and the first Gulf War.
Kim met the love of her life, Loren Roach, while they were both serving in the Middle East. After returning to the states, they were married on a riverboat. Kim and Loren were married for 34 years and had two sons, Daniel and Marshall. They built a beautiful life and family together in Colorado. Kim was a devoted wife, mother, and member of her church.
Kim enjoyed the outdoors, including camping, hiking, walking her dogs, and tending to her flowers (especially purple ones). She loved being near the water and viewing animals in the wild. Her passion for geology was lifelong, and she was always on the lookout for interesting or beautiful rocks and formations. Kim was an avid reader, particularly of the Bible, but also enjoyed works of fiction and non-fiction.
Kim is survived by her sons, Daniel and Marshall Roach, her husband, Loren Roach, her father, Don Eckloff, her brother, Eric Eckloff (Valarie), and her sister, Kirsten (Eckloff) Donovan. She is predeceased by her mother, Janice Eckloff.
Kim was deeply loved by her family and friends and will be missed tremendously.
