Karen Sue Callin
Oct. 24, 1946 - Feb. 5, 2021
Karen Sue Callin passed into the arms of God, Feb. 5, 2021 after a three year long battle with ovarian cancer. She was born Karen Sue Dunlap in Sacramento, Calif., Oct. 24, 1946 to Argus and Helen Dunlap. Karen was the second of four children. The family lived in Sacramento, Roseville, and Ben Lomond, Calif., before resettling in Roseville when Karen was 12. While at Sierra College in 1966 Karen was introduced to Tom Callin by friends at a party in Berkeley. It was love on the first date and they were married the following year in 1967.
After they were married, the couple moved to Laurel, Md., where Tom was employed by NSA and Karen was employed by Arbitron doing television surveys. In 1968 Tom enlisted in Officer Training School for the U.S. Air Force. Upon commissioning, Tom was stationed at Mather AFB near Sacramento for training. Karen and Tom were blessed with daughter Christina Lynn in November, 1969. Upon completion of training the couple moved to Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, La. In the spring of 1973 Karen and Tom had a son, Sean Matthew. In December of that year Tom exited the Air Force and the Callin's moved back to California. While Karen was a stay at home mom Tom managed various restaurants in the Sacramento area. In 1976 Tom moved to Portland to open a restaurant called The Rafters at Sellwood Bridge. Karen and the kids soon followed to join Tom where they have lived ever since.
Karen became a career woman again in January of 1979 starting as Receptionist at Kentrox Industries while Tom went to work for Frito-Lay and studied nights for his M.B.A. Karen was soon promoted to Executive Secretary then transferred into Human Resources. Promotions came quickly for her to HR Manager, then HR Director as the company was first acquired by Plantronics, then ADC Telecommunications. During this time Karen studied nights and earned her B.A. from Linfield College in 1993 and became the first in her Dunlap family to graduate from college. When she retired in 1999 to be available for the birth of her first grandchild, Lucy Price, Karen was responsible for Kentrox on the site now occupied by Columbia Sportswear, an ADC division in Laconia, N.H., and ADC divisions in Chatsworth and San Mateo, Calif.
Husband Tom retired from Frito-Lay the following year and the couple's sense of adventure took them on numerous trips all over Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Canada and the U.S. Karen thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful life she lived and had no regrets at the end.
Karen was both a leader and a joiner and cultivated countless friendships through her infectious charm, sense of humor, wisdom, and moral compass. Friends and family relied heavily on her wise counsel, but remember her as much for her sense of humor, radiant smile, and laugh.
Karen particularly loved cooking and entertaining, reading, gardening, knitting, bridge, Pilates, traveling and golf which allowed her to enjoy socializing with hundreds of friends. Special among those friends were the Saturday Night Surprise Club, Les Six Amis, the Birthday Group, Christ Church Meet and Eat group, the Gulping Gourmets, the PM Divas Book Club, BWE Bunco Babes, Julie's Pilates Gals, Executive Women's Golf, and Chapter E of P.E.O. where she held many offices over the years. Karen and Tom have been active members of Christ United Methodist Church in Cedar Mill since 1978.
Karen was preceded in death by her father, Argus Dunlap (1996); mother, Helen Dunlap (2003); younger brother, David Dunlap (2014); and older sister, Barbara Baum (2017). Karen is survived by younger brother, Rodney Dunlap; her husband, Tom Callin; daughter, Christina Price (Kelly); son, Sean Callin; and grandchildren, Lucy Price, Micki Price, Nicolas Callin, and Jack Callin.
Remembrances to honor Karen may be donated to Knight Cancer Institute where she received her cancer treatment.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions a celebration of Karen's life will be held at a later date.
Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits