Karen Lee Beattie

Karen Lee Beattie was born to parents Ernest and Patricia in Long Beach, CA on September 14, 1954, just 15 months after her older sister, Linda, was born. Five years later, her little brother Russell came into her world. The whole family lived in Long Beach until she was 12, and then came the move to Tucson, Arizona, where she lived until after she graduated from high school. Not long after that she moved to Denver, Colorado to live with sister Linda. It was here that she met her husband, Henry van der Hoeven, who she married in 1976. She attended and graduated from a business school in Denver, and then worked for the Westminster Fire Department.

Karen’s life was interrupted in February of 1980 when she was in a car accident. Life for her would never be the same due to a traumatic brain injury. She returned to Arizona several years later after she and her husband separated, and she embarked on her new life. She was fiercely independent and determined to live on her own and take care of herself, which she did for many years. Finally, in 2008, she moved into Devon Gables, a long-term care center in Tucson, where she lived out her remaining years until her passing on June 10, 2023.

Karen was an inspiration to everyone who knew her. She was known for her *EXpressive* typing style. She never lost her sense of humor. She memorized the lyrics to a myriad of John Prine songs (it’s a half an inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown, that’s the way the world goes round…) Another enduring quality was her continual thoughtfulness and generosity in giving whatever she could to others. She rarely complained. She was not bitter or resentful. She accepted her life for what it was and lived it to the fullest. She was a great blessing to those around her.

Karen is survived by her brother Russell and sister Linda and their children, her nieces and nephews: Dylan Beattie, Emma Beattie, Patrick Foster and Teresa Foster. She is also survived by her ex-husband Henry, who was there by her bedside the last few days of her life. They kept in contact with each other over the years and maintained a precious connection that never faded.

Karen’s final resting place is at East Lawn Palms Cemetery in Tucson, Arizona.