Karen Lynette Mitts

Karen Lynette Mitts was gifted to this world on January 18th, 1958 to Larry and Ruth Mott in San Antonio, Texas. Her story truly began in 1975 when she met the only man who would ever capture her heart, our father, Sam Mitts. Karen and Sam wed each other on December 29, 1979, a day made all the more memorable by her walk down the aisle on crutches in a leg-long cast thanks to a piggyback ride gone wrong from Sam. Whenever any of us kids would ask her why she decided to get married so close to Christmas, she would always respond “because I was selfish.” However, this would be the exception that proved the rule as Karen was exceedingly generous with both her money as well as her time, and her time was always a very precious commodity in the Mitts house.

Karen and Sam were blessed with three children over the years, and she would devote herself to them fully, leaving an exhilarating career as a Life Insurance Actuary at USAA in 1999 to become “Mom” full time. The pay was miserable, the hours even worse, and her “employees” couldn’t even follow basic commands, but Mom kept a beautiful home that was always full of love, warmth, and her world-famous chocolate chip cookies. She gave of her time generously to several charities including the St. Vincent De Paul Society and Meals on Wheels. She also volunteered at St. Pius X Catholic Church and School, where she taught 8th grade algebra, teaching all of her children and many of their friends.

A devout Catholic, she prayed daily, and has often been credited with convincing God to save Dad’s life when he was diagnosed with cancer. This is just one of several miracles that put her on the path towards formalizing what we all already know: Mom is a saint.

She always told her children that her number one goal in life was to get her family into heaven, and she made one of many steps towards achieving that goal when she brought her mother, Ruth, or as she was lovingly known, Nanny, into the church.

Karen had a fantastic community of friends who brought out the extrovert in her like no one else could. She loved to spend nights out at restaurants, vacation in far off places, and take our annual trek to South Padre with those nearest and dearest to her. Her truest joy in life, however, was the one she waited for the longest. Mimi, as she was so affectionately known by a very exclusive club, became a grandmother in 2010. At the announcement of the pregnancy of their first-born grandchild, Mimi and Papa were reported to have exclaimed “We did it!” which is, for the record, highly debatable, but we can let that go for now. From there her family tree would blossom to include 6 grandchildren.

Mimi loved taking her babies whenever she could, and she relished in the role she was born for. She’s still the only grandmother we’ve ever known who had her own self-styled theme song. “I love my Mimi, and my Mimi loves me,” will forever be ingrained in the heads of those closest to her. True to form, Mimi doted on and spoiled her grandchildren. She also imparted wisdom and taught them grace. As she had been as a wife and a mother before, Mimi was the ultimate grandmother.

The spark behind all of her greatness, though, was her partnership, spiritual bond, and loving connection with her husband Sam. Fiercely protective of him, Karen would pounce at the slightest idea that her husband wasn’t, in fact, the greatest man to ever walk God’s green earth. To her his flaws were mere foibles, his jokes and prat falls were so funny that she would literally pee herself (sorry mom), and his devotion and love were the core of her existence.

Karen Mitts left this earth on December 5th, 2021 from complications due to meningitis. She passed peacefully with her children and husband surrounding her with love. Karen was preceded in death by

her mother and father, Ruth and Larry Mott. Mom is survived by her husband Sam, her brother Larry, and her three children and their spouses whom she loved dearly, Ryan and Stacy Mitts, Elizabeth and Patrick Collins, and Jack Mitts and Cristina Odom. Mimi is still watching over six grandchildren: Gavin, Liam, Wesley, and Connor Mitts, Charlotte Collins, and Augustus Mitts. She is missed, but never forgotten, and her memory will live on in the uncountable number of people who were lucky to have known her. The family requests that in lieu of flowers you make a donation to The Alexander House, a marriage faith based initiative that Karen and Sam loved, www.thealexanderhouse.org, or to St. Pius X catholic school where they sent their three children to receive their education in Christ https://school.stpiusxsa.org/donate. Karen will be celebrated on Friday, December 17th at St. Pius X Catholic Church with a visitation and rosary at 6pm. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, December 18th at St. Pius X Catholic Church at 10am with a reception and celebration of life to follow.