Karen Jean Kociak

Our dear sister/SIL/aunt/cousin/friend, Karen Jean Kociak, passed away on April 16, 2025. Karen was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 17, 1946. She was one of seven children, predeceased by brother Tom. Other siblings include: Jim (Susan), Kathy, Eileen (Mark), Jeff (Laura), and Dan (Joan). Aunt to Julie (Sean), Tony (Sydney), Max, Sam (Justyna), David, Dan and Nick. Great Aunt to Lyla, James Patrick (JP), Libby and Faye.

Karen graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and spent most of her career working as an investigator for the State of Illinois. After retiring, she held several small jobs to keep busy. She was an avid reader, always challenging herself with a worthy classic, e.g., Moby Dick and Ulysses in addition to favorite contemporary and international authors. She loved watching sports: baseball, basketball (mainly college), football, tennis and was a loyal White Sox fan and March Madness aficionado. She was a generous and caring person who enjoyed giving to others, never forgetting a birthday and always trying to find that unique personal gift. She supported a number of charities through ongoing donations, a favorite was Cat Nap from the Heart. Karen loved cats and lost her 23 year old cat, Francine, just ten days before her own passing. Francine's litter mate, Mimi, didn't leave Karen's side during her battle with ovarian cancer which she successfully fought seven years ago and remained cancer-free after treatment. She nicknamed her "Nurse Mimi."

Karen enjoyed keeping her mind stimulated daily by working on the New York Times puzzles and crosswords as well as continuing to improve her French. Her intelligence stood out and she always amazed others with her knowledge and memory. As a result, she was an interesting conversationalist and someone you wanted to be around. She made friends easily and had long-standing friendships from high-school, the workplace and friends that she made more recently. She cherished her friends and family and always made a point of keeping in touch regularly. Her sense of humor and quick wit always delivered some of the best laughs and one-liners. Karen was one of a kind and her passing leaves an irreplaceable void in all of our lives. A private Celebration of Life will be held in July.