Colette N. Verstraete

Colette Verstraete was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 11th, 1985, to her parents Frank and Martine Verstraete, who emigrated from Belgium a few years before. The family moved to Davis in the fall of 1994, when Colette was 9 years of age. After attending Patwin Elementary, Emerson Junior High, and Davis Senior High Schools, she obtained a degree in early childhood education from Sacramento City College. Working with young children was Colette's passion, and she was a beloved swimming coach in Davis. Many children had wonderful experiences at preschool or learning to swim because of Colette's kind and caring nature. During the COVID years, Colette went back to school at California State University to pursue a degree in business administration, and subsequently joined an accounting firm in Sacramento. She died in a car accident on January 31st, 2025, and is survived by her father Frank, mother Martine and sister Stephanie, as well as family members in Belgium, and the many children and their families she cared for. She will be remembered and deeply missed for her kind soul, caring heart, and lovely smile.