Karen was born in San Antonio, Texas to Ross Carpenter, Jr., and Gloria Dunback Carpenter on November 15th, 1960. She attended John Marshall High School, class of 1978, where she participated in athletics including volleyball and track while maintaining employment in Helotes at the local Burger Hut. She met the love of her life, Jon Moriarty, in 1982 at Denim and Diamonds, a popular dance hall for two-step; they were married after a year and a half of dating on March 24th, 1984. Karen had a passion for helping people; she graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and pursued a 37-year long career in the medical field, furthering her education in nursing throughout by receiving her certification as a Medical Assistant in 1987 and her license as a Registered Nurse in 2000. She was awarded certification as a CGRN in 2004 and maintained this achievement for 6 years. She worked various roles throughout her career in the South Texas Medical Center until she retired in 2020, where she enjoyed spending time with her family and beloved animals in her hill country dream home.
Karen is preceded in death by her father, Ross Carpenter, Jr., her mother, Gloria Dunback Carpenter, and her brother James Ross Carpenter.
Karen is survived by her husband, Jon Moriarty, her daughter Alyssa Simonson (Nicholas), her son, James Moriarty (Evangeline), and her sister Linda Anderson (Rick).
A visitation for Karen will be held Friday, December 22, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, followed by a prayer service from 7:00 PM. Services will conclude at the end of the evening.
Karen’s family wishes to extend their sincerest thanks to Bandera County EMS, Dr. Craig Ainsworth, Travis, and the entire Methodist Hospital staff for the high level of attention and care administered throughout her stay.
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