Karen L Christian

Karen Lee McCauley Christian was born to Angela Catherine Cerutti McCauley and William Edmond McCauley on September 10th, 1947. Karen was the oldest of three girls. She and her sisters grew up in Panorama City, CA and Karen graduated from St. Genevieve High School in 1965. As kids, she and her sisters spent summers swimming, playing hide and seek, blind man’s bluff, and so many other games inside and outside the house. After she got her driver’s license, she would often take the younger ones to the drive in theatre, beach or to the “library to study”. This was at their parent’s request, thinking they outsmarted her, but she actually took them crusin’ on Van Nuys Blvd to meet boys. Her sisters had to lay on the floor of the car, while she and her girlfriends flirted.

She loved to read, watch sports, was an avid skier, and artist. She even appeared on TV as a child because she won a contest with artwork she submitted. Karen loved to travel. She would jokingly say “Good-bye in zee” as to sound German. Karen ended up all over the world and enjoyed visiting many places, but her favorites were Hawaii and anywhere in the mountains. She enjoyed listening to all kinds of music from Big Band, Jazz, Classical, and Opera to Rock N’ Roll and Surfer music. She and her sisters saw many musical artists in person but when she was 16, they got to see the Beatles in concert (9th row). Karen researched the family tree and was very interested in the family’s Italian, Scotch/Irish, heritage.

An American Airlines flight attendant for over 40 years, Karen had many stories to tell, especially when she and her flight crews escorted many military personnel from Kuwait to Germany after their tours of duty during Desert Storm. She married Richard Christian in September 25, 1972 and together they had their son, Matthew. Although they divorced after 10 plus years of marriage, their relationship remained on good terms.

Karen’s family would describe her as loving, compassionate, imaginative, patriotic and faithful woman. She was a devout Christian and had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Angela “Lee” and William “Bill” McCauley, and her grandmother Mary Agnes “Mim” Sites.

She is survived by her son, Matthew Christian; step-mother, Denise McCauley; sisters, Cyd Wilson and Mary Taferner; step-sister Tracy Harney (Ray); nieces, Shannon Wilson and Jamie Mulhern (Keith); nephews, Josh Wilson, Seth Taferner (Lindsay), Sam Taferner (Morgan); ex husband, Richard Christian; great niece, Bailey Mulhern; cousins, Tom Scafide (Monica), Pat Scafide (Tamara) and Jim Scafide; first cousins once removed, Layna Scafide (PJ); and first cousins twice removed, Harmony Scafide (Karsyn).