Karen Jones Rima

Please celebrate with us the life of Karen Jones Rima with a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at the Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar, Austin, Texas. A reception will follow at the Rima residence.

Karen was born in Jonesboro, Louisiana on January 25, 1953 to Ruth and Emmett Jones. She died unexpectedly at home on November 7, 2015.

Growing up, Karen lived in several locations around the United States and for a while in France, The Netherlands and Spain while her Dad worked at power plant and other construction sites for the M.W. Kellogg Company. Karen graduated high school in Oswego, New York and entered college at Oswego State University in 1971 where she met her husband-to-be, Robert A. Rima. Bob and Karen were married on August 11, 1973. Karen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from New England College while Bob earned his law degree from Franklin Pierce School School of Law, now New Hampshire School of Law in Concord New Hampshire. The couple moved to Dallas, Texas in 1976 where Karen worked for Franklin Savings and Bob went to work for Southern Union Company. Karen and Bob’s first daughter, Lindsey Allison Rima, was born on July 22, 1981.

After a promotion to General Attorney of Southern Union Gas Company, Bob and Karen moved to Austin in 1981. Their second daughter, Meredith Simpson Rima Garee was born on November 21, 1982.

Karen was a devoted wife, mother, homemaker, role model and an instant friend to all she met. Karen was a natural born caregiver and enjoyed helping others whether it was making her Mom’s chicken salad and chocolate chip cookies for a sick friend or setting her schedule aside to make the time to serve someone with a need large or small. Karen liked to cook, garden and spend an occasional hot summer day in the chilly waters of Blue Hole in Wimberley.

In addition to assisting and encouraging her family in all things, Karen enjoyed supporting Bob as he established his private practice, her time working at The Container Store and later as a Realtor first at Stallworth & Company and then at The Caldwell Company.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents. Left to cherish her memory are her husband and two daughters, son-in-law, James Garee; her sister, Judith A. Bruner and brother-in-law, Dr. James Bruner of Bossier City, Louisiana; her brother, Gary P. Jones and sister-in-law, Barbara Jones of Tallulah, Louisiana; and her sister and brother-in law, Sandra and Phil Young, of Yorba Linda, California; as well as, Karen’s nieces: Anne-Marie Bruner Tracey, Dr. Sara Klug, and Debbie Spitz; and her nephews: Brant Jones, David Young, and Paul Young; and their families.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Karen’s memory to Children’s Blood and Cancer Center at Dell Children’s Medical Center or Austin Pets Alive.