Obituary of Karen Roberta Mader

In Loving Memory

Karen Roberta Mader

March 30, 1942 — August 8, 2024

 

Karen really loved people. She loved children, dogs, cats, horses, photography, local history, dancing, music, curling and gardening.

Later in life she found herself learning to paint acrylics with instructions from her wonderful friend Ilona Webster.

She also took to scrapbooking in a very big way with her wonderful friend Natalie Burgess and the rest of the club.

 

Karen was born in Creston BC to Earnest and Wilma Brown. Earnest was a CIBC bank manager. Wilma had also worked in a bank in Prince Rupert until

her marriage disqualified her from employment with the bank. Karen and her younger brother Robert moved often in the following years as her father was transferred to Trail, then Abbotsford and then Vernon. In 1955, the family made a final move to Victoria BC with the addition by then of their foster daughter Nancy.

Karen Graduated from Oak Bay High in Victoria. She then attended Victoria college which became the University of Victoria in 1962.

She then went on to teach school in Prince Rupert, then Victoria then Cumberland on the island. Karen worked hard in the 80's and received her B.ED. in 1986.

At the Courtney Curling Rink in 1964, Karen met her soulmate, David Mader. They were engaged in April 1965 and married in July that year.

The following year, Dave and Karen moved to Galloway to be with Dave's mother after his father suddenly passed away. Dave and his mother then started a cattle ranch together. Soon after Dave and Karen were very fortunate to adopt their son Patrick and daughter Tara.

Karen taught grade one to five in Waldo, then taught in Elko and finally in Jaffray. She fully enjoyed retirement in 1997 at age 55.

 Sadly, the last three years her life were scarred by the untimely deaths of her nephew Brent and son in-law Gordon in 2021.In November 2022 her son in-law Peter Martindale passed away followed by her own husband David in December 2022. The following May 2023 her daughter Tara Martindale passed away.

Shortly after, Karen herself was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

She was again very saddened and disappointed when in May of 2024 her Grandson Christopher's soulmate Ashley passed away at only 35 years old. They had grown close.

Through it all, Karen never lost the ability to be helpful or grateful or to give a genuine smile.

And so she wanted to give many thanks to all, including the bankers at Scotia and CIBC for all the help. Thanks as well to the Gov't for MAID.

Thanks to all the medical staff for all the help. Thanks to the wonderful girls Linda Harrison and Loo Evans for their help last year. Thanks to husband David's family for all the caring.

Thanks to loyal childhood friends Elisabeth and Lois and many others. Apologies to some friends for not keeping in touch.

Thanks to all the wonderful staff and residents at Kootenay Street Village for their caring.

Thank you so very much to best friend Karen Larsen for her constant care and concern.

Thank you so very much to best friend at Kootenay Street Village, Maureen Campsall, for all the fun and laughter.

A big thank you to wonderful grandsons Christopher and Alexander for all the love and delicious meals and good times watching movies.

Thank you to son Patrick for all the love and support.

 

Karen is survived by her brother's wife Bev, her husband Dave's sisters Barb, Celia, Marylin, and her husband Gary, many nieces and nephews , her grandsons Christopher and Alexander and her son Patrick.

 

She is greeted in heaven by the aforementioned, her Husband Dave and his parents Mary and Jack, her parents Wilma and Earnest, her brother Robert, sister Nancy, brother in laws Larry, Fred and Ron, nephews Brent and David, niece Nadine, son in-laws, Gordon and Peter and her daughter Tara.