Kari Elizabeth Sellars

Kari Elizabeth Sellars was born in Seattle, Washington on January 16, 1968 to Bill and Kathy Sellars. She passed away peacefully at age 55 on March 31, 2023 at Evergreen Hospice in Kirkland, Washington after experiencing seizures related to Down Syndrome and dementia. Kari will always be remembered for greeting friendly faces with her contagious smile.

From birth, Kari was the light in so many people's lives. She loved her family, especially her grandparents, Mama and Papa Sellars from Daingerfield, Texas, who accompanied the family on trips to the ocean. Over the years, she enjoyed visiting Texas, as well as traveling to Macon, Georgia, to meet her Ogden relatives on her mom's side of the family.

Kari was a pioneer in both education for individuals with Down Syndrome and inclusivity in education. Her first schooling was at the University of Washington, in their Down Syndrome Model Program at the Experimental Education Unit. She also benefited from new legislation that enabled her to enroll in Seattle Public Schools early and continue through high school. She was a very proud graduate of Meany Middle School and Nathan Hale High School.

Kari was no stranger to the world, having lived with her parents and older brother in Rome, Italy, as a very young child and later in Athens, Greece as an adolescent. She also enjoyed travel as an adult with trips back to Italy (meeting up with her parents) and to Malta to visit her nephew, Ante. She made numerous trips to Annapolis, Maryland to visit her niece, Natalya, at the US Naval Academy. In 2019 (before COVID), Kari traveled to Washington, DC for the National Arc Convention and then to Philadelphia for the Army/Navy Football Game and a visit with her brother's family.

Participating in a wide variety of sports was a love of Kari's, including swimming, skiing, tennis, golf, horseback riding, bowling, and track and field, all of which kept her both physically and socially active. Kari was a life-long and accomplished downhill skier, and for many years she competed in Special Olympics on the Seattle Skihawks team. Kari also excelled at swimming. She practiced and competed in Special Olympics with her Seattle Parks & Rec Specialized Programs swim team, The Sharks, until she was in her early 50s. No Special Olympics games were complete without the requisite dancing, yet one more joy in life that Kari shared with her teammates, friends, and family alike! Kari was both a participant and a fan. She loved watching Seahawks and UW Huskies football games and Mariners baseball, and enjoyed wearing gear that displayed her loyalties.

Kari was an active participant in the legislative process, advocating for rights of individuals with disabilities on many visits to Olympia and even meeting with Senator Patty Murray in Washington, DC.

The majority of Kari's adult life was spent at Karistad, a shared living home established by her parents, which they donated to Parkview Services. She lived with other adults with disabilities and a live-in care provider in a safe, but relatively independent living environment. Another key resource during Kari's adult life was her LifeSPAN Personal Support Network, made up of friends from her community and family members.

Through the program of Supported Employment, Kari maintained a position as Office Assistant at the corporate offices of PCC Community Markets, retiring with the benefits of a 401k retirement savings plan after almost 25 years. Kari took the bus on her own from Karistad to work through all those years.

Kari began attending the Sonbeams program for adults with disabilities at the Calvary Christian Assembly. Later she was invited to join the choir. She would listen to CDs of the music over and over to memorize the words. The CCA choir was a source of great joy and pride to her, and in later years, it would be the first thing she would say about herself, "I sing in a choir."

Kari is survived by her siblings, Michele Anciaux Aoki (Paul Aoki) from Seattle, Washington, and Martin Sellars (Carolyn Sellars) from New Hope, Pennsylvania, along with many nephews and nieces: James Anthony Hoath, Natalya Cooper (Patrick Cooper), Jay Hanley, Kristen Hanley, Tayton Sellars, and Gianni Sellars, plus grandniece, Ruth Cooper. She is also survived by her devoted caregivers over the years, Carol Aoki-Kramer, Janet Mortensen, Tomoko Ito Hendershot, and Kelly Delaney, and her final LifeSPAN Network Facilitator, Teresa Woods.

Family and friends of Kari are invited to attend a memorial service at her church, Calvary Christian Assembly (6801 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115) on June 21, 2023 at 1:00 pm. Donations may be made to Parkview Services, National Down Syndrome Society, or to the church or charity of your choice.