Obituaries

Darlene Marie Goetz, 65, of Burlington, KY, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to the late Jack and Doris (Kaiser) Ivey.

Darlene was truly the light in every room she entered. Her youthful, playful spirit had a way of making everything more fun, and her laughter and joy were contagious. She often said, “I wanted to be a kid when I grew up,” and she certainly lived that way—embracing life with a sense of adventure, creativity, and wonder. Darlene never wanted to simply grow older; she wanted to keep enjoying the things that made her happy and, most importantly, sharing that happiness with others.

She had a generous heart and was always thinking of others before herself. Darlene loved making jewelry, and she rarely kept her creations for herself. She was constantly giving them away to family and friends, making each piece a little gift of love from her to someone else.

She found happiness in the simplest things—a new adventure, a favorite song, time spent outdoors, creating something with her hands, or just being surrounded by the people she loved. She carried a sense of adventure into everything she did, finding happiness in creating, exploring, and simply enjoying the moment.
Darlene has a special ability to turn ordinary moments into something memorable that her family will carry with them forever.

Darlene’s life was centered around her family and the people she loved. Her fun-loving spirit, generous heart, and youthful outlook on life will be deeply missed, but the joy she brought to so many lives will live on in the memories she leaves behind.

In addition to her parents, Darlene was preceded in death by her daughter, Alysha Edison, and her siblings, Douglas Ivey and John “Jackie” Ivey.

She leaves behind her beloved husband, Philip Goetz; daughters, Stacey (Louis) Nortman and Stephanie (Andrew) Bacon; brother, Gregory (Pam) Ivey; sisters, Sandra (David) Stargardt and Deborah (Nirinda) Sambi; and her three grandchildren, who brought her great joy.

A visitation will be held at Cooper Funeral Home on Monday, September 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. A service will follow at 11:00 a.m., with burial to follow at Alexandria Cemetery.

Cooper Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family.