Tribute to Karen Davis
19 months, just 5 months short of 2 years, is how long I knew Karen. The truth is, Karen and I only saw each other in person 5x, and yet, somehow, that timeframe became the beginning of a friendship that reached much deeper than I ever expected.
Karen often called me “dearest friend” and even an “angel.” But I want everyone to know that I never felt like an angel to Karen. I was simply a person who cared about her. And Karen had a way of making you feel that caring mattered.
She reached out to me during some of the hardest days of her life. She was honest about her fear, her exhaustion, her pain, and her uncertainty. She was also honest about her faith. Over and over, she talked about praying, asked me to pray for her, talked about Jesus, about asking God for courage and strength.
There were times when Karen was frightened. There were times when she told me she was tired and didn’t know how much longer she could carry on. But even in those moments, I could hear something underneath it all—a woman who desperately wanted to live, who loved her family, who loved Gary, and who was still looking for God’s hand in the middle of everything she was going through. She praised God for giving her “today.” In December 2024 she wrote me “I rest and pray all day and night. I apologize for sounding weak, it’s not who I am.” Karen was not weak. She was a fighter; brave & courageous, but also gentle, soft spoken, kind and genuine. I loved her feistiness, her patriotism and love for her country. She was a woman who had known hardship, but who still noticed beautiful things like the refreshing mountain air at her property in Idaho.
She told me about Baby Isaac, her fourth great-grandchild, and how special it was that he was born on the anniversary of her mother’s passing. She treasured family and the moments when people came together. Christmas 2025, her last one, she said “All grandkids+spouses+greatgkids+sons & DIL’s =18! They will all be here beginning on the 22nd. Im grateful to be able to have them here.”
She told me about our little Washington State Toresays “family,” where we first met, the 2 annual Wenatchee picnics and how glorious it felt to be surrounded by people who made her feel loved. She said, “I love you and all (who attended), words can never express my gratitude and I am so thankful to God for our meeting.”
Karen, I want you to know that I feel the same way. I am thankful to God that our paths crossed.
I wish there had been more conversations, more laughter, more opportunities to sit together and talk about God, family, life, and all the things that mattered to you. More time. I never expected March 27th I would stand there saying goodbye. But I believe God was listening to our prayers then, and I believe He is listening now.
So today, instead of saying goodbye forever, I want to say:
Thank you, Karen. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for letting me into a small corner of your life. Thank you for reminding me that even one meeting can become a meaningful friendship. And thank you for reminding me that when life is frightening and uncertain, we can still reach for God. I will miss you, my friend, my Scorpio sister, you touched my life deeply.
I love you, Karen. RIP.

Karen was always so much fun. She was always happy and always smiling. My sincerest condolences to my dear friend Gary, her sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Karen and I became friends by sharing the same profession of teaching elementary children; we worked together at Lewis and Clark elementary school.
Her wit, honesty, compassion, care always shone through. She was a talented, creative woman – from gardening and keeping everything so beautiful, to cooking so many delicious treats, to making and creating gifts and completing projects.
I miss her every day!