Karen Elizabeth Thompson

Karen’s interests and accomplishments in life were numerous. She didn’t just take up hobbies, she took the time to excel at them. She rode horses all through school, and went on to Show at the Royal Winter Fair; when she married Claude 21 years ago, and he turned out to be allergic to horses, she took up mountain biking and became an Ontario Champion. She didn’t just cook, she grew her own food and along the way transformed a lot of people’s diets.

She had a life-long love affair with animals, excelled at growing tomatoes, rebuilding chicken coops after many setbacks, rocking 0ut to the Hip, outsmarting rabbits, never losing a game of Scrabble, and reading any cycling magazine she could get her hands on.

We were blessed to learn many valuable lessons and insights from Karen during her 47 years with us, amongst them: camouflage a finely honed competitive instinct with acts of kindness; learn to play guitar in the last month of your life; actually figure out a way to make kale palatable; sing really out of tune, and dance at all times like no one’s looking; never throw anything away, because you never know when old bike parts can be used as Christmas ornaments; also: if a raccoon takes up residence in your chicken coop, grab a barbecue brush to coax him out…if he doesn't leave, brush him for twenty minutes and let him stay; let a dog share your bed; take the time to listen, not just hear…if they are from Quebec and you have trouble understanding them, learn to listen with an accent.

The friends and family in her life were numerous beyond count. She bestowed endless love and took extreme pride in her children and husband. She taught them to eat sensibly, to love those around them, to treat people as equals, to love nature, and to just be thankful. One of her regrets was not seeing her kids marry and have their own children.

Karen was born on September 21rst, 1966, and grew up in North York. A keen intellect, she completed a Bachelor of Life Sciences and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Toxicology at Queen’s University in Kingston, graduating in 1993. She began her career in research at Sick Kids Hospital, then moved onto Wyeth / Pfizer, where she spent 17 years working in clinical research and strategic planning. The intelligence, passion, courage and commitment that Karen so ably demonstrated at work continued during her brave battle with cancer.

The years spent as a family seemed to melt happily together. Our honeymoon in South Africa, our years in the Beach, her love of horses that led us to eventually move up to the countryside outside of Toronto, our yearly trips to visit her brother and sister in little interior B.C. towns, Cabarete, Florida, camping on the Georgian Bay, her winning countless mountain bike races, her 40th bash at Steve and Joanne’s; the summer hours spent sitting on the dock at the cottage while our kids played in the sand and splashed in the water; the trips we took in California and Europe where she bestowed upon her husband her love of cycling; her really loud cheering for her daughter’s soccer; and the late nights dancing in endless Craigleith parties.

Cancer may have defeated her body, but it could never defeat her spirit. Hers was a life well lived.

Karen is survived by her father Gord, her sister Deb and brother Scott, and by her family – Claude, Logan, Ryder and dog Blaze. Karen rejoins her mother, Pat, who passed away 14 years ago.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Arrangements under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home, Aurora, ON.