Karen Janette Schoen

With her kind and gentle spirit shining even in her last moments, Karen Janette Schoen sadly passed away February 16th, 2025 at the age of 87. 

 She is preceded in death by her husband of 59 ½ years David Jay Schoen, Jr., parents Alma Alice Claxton and Richard Franklin Claxton, as well as her brother, Gary Claxton. She is survived by her son, David Schoen, IV (Kathy), her daughter Kari Schoen, and her two granddaughters Kaylyn Dominguez (Alex) and Joslyn Schoen. She is also survived by her beloved great-grandson, Tiago Dominguez. 

 Karen was a true Colorado native, born June 10th,1937 in Denver, Colorado, where she lived the rest of her life. She shared her love for the outdoors with her family and friends, as she spent many weekends enjoying the fresh mountain air at her summer home on Lake Granby with her friends and family. Her Colorado spirit gave Karen an adventurous side, as she rode her motor scooter on dirt roads, snow skied and waterskied with friends, played golf, went kayaking on the lake, and rode horses with her grandchildren. Not all of her hobbies were extreme, however, as she was an avid book reader, and could often be found sitting in the sunshine with her tea, listening to a good story. 

Her love for nature extended into her career where she worked at Denver Wood Products, and Denver Botanical Gardens in the Mycology department. She made many lifelong friends while she worked, and her knowledge in mushroom identification was a skill that she carried with pride. Her time at the botanic gardens gave her a green thumb, as her gardens at home were always blooming and full of beautiful flowers and vegetables. For a few years she even grew pumpkins for her family to carve at Halloween. 

 Karen’s innate intelligence allowed her to excel at West High School from where she graduated in 1955. She had the honor of serving as Head Girl during the 1954-55 school years, was appointed as an Honorary ROTC Cadet, and won the schools “RODEO Personality Poll” as Miss West High. Also, while in in high school, she was also introduced to the love of her life, Dave. Their love began to grow after his military service, and Karen had fond memories of Dave watching her as she bowled with her friends at Pearl Mack. They were married in the beautiful Colorado snow on March 12,1960 where they began their life together. The road ahead of them led Karen to her true passion in life– her family. She loved her children more than anything and was very involved in her granddaughters’ lives. The girls she referred to as “Pumpkin” and “Peanut” were always welcomed at “Namma’s” house with homemade mac and cheese, a strong hug, and the words “come back when you can stay longer.” 

 In her later years, Karen continued to invest in her relationships with her friends by playing Bridge and Mahjong. Her daughter Kari moved in with her and Dave to help care for them and was thankfully there to support Karen when she unexpectedly lost her sight in 2017. Despite this sudden change, she continued to persevere with a positive attitude as she adjusted to life without sight. After Dave’s passing in 2019, she and Kari were fortunate to spend the next five years navigating life together and building a very special bond. One of the greatest joys in Karen’s life was her great-grandson Tiago who was born in 2023. She cherished her time with him every day–they even took a few naps together. 

 Many remember Karen not only for her generous spirit, but also for her incredible ability to remember small details of others’ lives, as she cared so deeply for her friends and family. Traces of the remarkable woman she was are left in every life she touched, and her memory will be cherished by those lucky enough to have loved her. 

 Memorial services will take place at Horan & McConaty at 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd on Friday, February 28th, at 1:00pm. Reception will follow immediately after at the same location, and we invite all who knew Karen to come and remember the full and happy life she lived as we grieve her death. 

 In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Doctors without Borders or National Public Radio.