Karen "Muffin" Lauren Batiste

In Loving Memory
Karen "Muffin" Lauren Batiste
July 31, 1946 - January 9, 2026


Karen was born in Tucson, Arizona; the third of six children of Mary and Ernest Batiste, Jr.

Ever the eternal optimist, in the face of any concerns about her, Muffin would adamantly reply "I'm fine." If she or someone was facing challenges, she would say "difficult but not impossible."

Muffin had a 40+ year as a Flight Attendant and Purser, mostly with Trans World Airlines. She relished the job, travelled extensively both domestic and international, and as she said "played in the world."

Muffin's love of cooking began as a teenager when she would concoct lunches while her parents were working. She refined her skills at Cordon Bleu in France and founded Le Sous Chef, a Custom Catering and Personal Chef Service in Vancouver, WA. She believed that "food should nourish both the body and the soul."

Muffin was adventuresome and was not afraid to take risks. She didn't sweat the practicalities or the what-ifs. Muffin liked to have fun and to be around people. She was always ready to sit and "kick it around," talking about what was going on in her life, your life, the world.

Muffin will be very much missed by her brother (Ron Batiste) and sister (Candace Selwyn); her relatives; her more recent and long-time friends and lovers; and her co-residents at Westfield Senior Citizens Housing.