Karen Jay Peltier

Karen Jay Peltier was born May 17, 1949, in Sand Point, ID, to Ted and Beverly (Best) Stockdale. She spent her childhood in Lowell, OR, and graduated from high school in Eugene, OR, in 1967. In 1969, she received an Associate in Arts Degree from Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, AK. That same year, she joined the United States Air Force and was assigned to NORAD Headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO as a Communications Specialist with Top Secret Security Clearance.

On February 19, 1972, Karen married Michael Peltier in Colorado Springs, CO at Ent Air Force Base. When Karen left the Air Force in 1975, she had reached the rank of Sergeant. On May 3, 1975, she gave birth to her son Christopher in San Antonio, TX, where she also served as Family Services Director at Kelly Air Force Base. In 1977, the family returned to NORAD in Colorado and then moved to Athens, Greece, where they would live for two and one-half years. During that time, Karen gave birth to Melissa in a Greek civilian hospital in Athens. The family returned to Texas in 1983, when they bought their first house and have remained in the Austin area until the present time. Karen worked for the Knights of Columbus, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Frito Lay where she was recognized as a member of Frito Lay’s national top team. She also, worked for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality where she has been for the past seven years.

In her life, Karen was fortunate enough to travel to many parts of the world including Ontario, Canada, Thailand, Rome, Pompeii, Crete, Egypt and Germany. One of Karen’s favorite pastimes was her four grandchildren, and she spent many weekends watching them play sports and then bragging about them to anyone who would listen.

Approximately fifteen years ago, Karen began her battle with breast cancer and defeated it soundly. She remained in remission until approximately four years ago when a different form of breast cancer appeared. Her oncologist diagnosed it as Inflammatory Breast Cancer, a rare form of cancer. Her remission period was shorter this time. She later dealt with a brain tumor in her next bout. The breast cancer then returned. During treatment she participated in a series of trial drugs. Because of the rarity of this kind of cancer much was learned and awareness increased. Her case has been closely studied, research papers have been written on it, resulting in earlier detection and improving the lives of more and more women.

Karen is preceded in death by her father, Ted and brother, Tom. She is survived by her mother, Beverly; sister, Cheryl Kochis; brother, Bruce; husband, Mike; son, Chris and his wife Heidi; daughter, Melissa; granddaughter, Desney; and grandsons, Ethan, Rory and Darius; along with extended family and many dear friends.

Visitation will be from 6pm until 8 pm, Thursday, August 18, 2011. A funeral service including military honors will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, August 19, 2011, at the Memorial Chapel of Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, Texas. Other services will be private.

Honorary pallbearers remembering Karen are Roberta (Mattin) Johnson, Lorraine Naveira, Lisa Mason, Linda McMillin, Benjamin Lail, and Dominick Taubert.

Karen’s battle with cancer is now over, but the war is not won. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Karen’s memory to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, www.komen.org, or to the Lighthouse Hospice at Altenheim, 100 College Ave, Round Rock, TX 78664.

To share memories of Karen with her family, please visit www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com