Karen Harbour Obituary
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Karen was born in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 1939 to Anthon and Mabel Voe (Stafford) Lund. She attended Antioch College, and graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in Sociology.
Karen was a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity. She attended adult education classes through the OLLE (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) Program until the last months of her life. She loved reading and attending live theater.
Karen was committed to volunteer work and made an impact as a volunteer for the Samaritans Suicide Prevention Hotline in Rhode Island and later, after relocating to Albany, was instrumental in establishing a Samaritans Suicide Prevention Chapter in the Capital District. Karen retired from the State of Nevada as a Fiscal Officer in the Department of Child and Family Services.
She had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed being a chaser for a hot-air balloon crew, as well as skydiving for her 75th birthday. Upon retirement, Karen traveled and visited locations throughout the US, Europe and Central America. Her favorite trip was a 3-month solo drive through British Columbia and Alaska. She was committed to social justice and was a fierce advocate for human rights throughout her adult life.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her stepmother, Rosalie Kauffman Lund; her sister, Barbara Lund Sterner; and her son, Brian Bowers.
She will be missed by her daughter, Susan Penn (Jonathan) of Castleton, N.Y.; son, Michael Bowers (Liza) of Westminster, Calif.; grandchildren, Chanelle Cruz, Michael Bowers, Israel Bowers (Sarah), Isabella Bowers, and Andrew Ixchop Itzep; and great-grandson, Nathanael Cruz.
To honor Karen's wishes, there will be no memorial service.
To remember Karen, donations can be made in her honor to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society, 111 Humane Society Road, Hudson, NY 12534.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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