Karen Susanne Austin

Karen Susanne Austin, 46, of Irvine passed away on Thursday, August 29, 2019 at Kindred Hospital in Westminister following a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. She was born on May 3, 1973 in Parkridge, Illinois to Jack and Piera LoBosco. While Karen was still an infant, her family relocated to Southern California. A shy, artistic girl, Karen attended schools in the Los Angeles area until the age of 14 when the family moved again, settling firmly into Orange County.

Highly creative and filled with a deep passion for design, architecture and photography, it is no surprise that Karen became a graphic designer following her education. Her first foray into graphic design was working for Nikken where she developed packaging designs and other marketing materials. Later, she held positions with toy manufacturers, Playmates Toys, Mega Brands and Mattel, designing the packaging for prominent product lines such as Strawberry Shortcake, the Disney Fairies, and Monster High. She excelled in her work and kept a sample of nearly every toy that she worked on to remember each project.

On October 25, 2002 Karen married Mark Robert Austin, a financial analyst. They were married for nearly 17 years and shared a love for all types of movies, good food, the musical comedy of dueling pianos, BBQing with friends, and most of all, their two amazing sons, Robert and Matthew.

Karen evolved from a shy child into a soft-spoken woman with an uncompromising will of steel, firm in her resolves. She savored cheesy 80’s music (Depeche Mode!), episodes of Seinfeld, and the cuisine of her Italian heritage — especially the Napoleon and Cannoli desserts. A friend and former coworker described her as "a caring friend who was willing to share her design knowledge to help others achieve their goals.” But nothing was more important to Karen than her family. She was a nurturing and present mother, loved and appreciated most by her sons for her kind, calm nature and her ability to laugh and be silly with them.

Karen is survived by her husband Mark; two sons Robert age 12 and Matthew age 10; her parents Jack and Piera LoBosco; her elder sister Maria LoBosco; her younger sister Jill and brother-in-law Joe Wells, and nephews Chase and Anthony Wells; her mother and father-in-law Sheryl and Robert Austin; and a host of extended family and dear friends.

A celebration of life will occur Thursday, September 5, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Fairhaven Memorial Services Chapel, 27856 Center Drive, Mission Viejo, CA. A reception following services will occur Thursday, September 5, 2019 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Fairhaven Reception Center, 27856 Center Drive, Mission Viejo, CA. A burial will occur Thursday, September 5, 2019 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM at El Toro Memorial Park, 25751 Trabuco Rd, Lake Forest, CA.

Please no flowers.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fairhavenmemorialservices.com for the Austin family.