Karen LaDuke

Karen (Schuck) LaDuke, 84, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and daughter, passed away peacefully at her home in Snowflake, Arizona, on April 14, 2025, surrounded by loved ones, after a selfless life of love, service, and kindness.

A precocious child, learning to read at the age of two, Karen discovered early on her aptitude for learning new skills. By the age of four she was reading regular books to her younger brother, Brian. Being raised by a single mother afforded ample time for playing with cousins whom she loved, but she relished in solitary moments spent with a good book, sewing her own clothing, or practicing the piano. As a teenager, she enjoyed dancing the jitterbug, being on the high school pom line and working with the yearbook committee. Obtaining a bachelor's degree in journalism was merely a step in a lifelong pursuit of learning and teaching. She valued truth and sought constantly to find it.

Karen fell in love with Bill LaDuke, married and remained faithfully devoted to him. Together they built a life centered on family and service to others. All of Karen's love, knowledge, skill, and effort was dedicated to her husband and children, never seeking praise but rather the betterment and happiness of those around her. In instances where many would be inclined to mete out condemnation, she looked for the good and wished to forgive and teach.

While serving a humanitarian mission to India, the people she and Bill served recognized their genuine love and concern for them, and lifelong bonds of friendship were formed. Later in life, Karen became an avid quilter and often shared her creations with children and grandchildren. She also made considerable effort to document stories of her ancestors, events of her own life, and her philosophies about raising children, providing a lasting opportunity for present and future generations to know her. Karen's North Star was her faith in Jesus Christ. It lit a path of loving service and sacrifice from which she never deviated. Her example of kindness, faithfulness, selflessness, and unconditional love will endure in our heart forever. There are no words to describe how much she will be missed.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Leora Peterson Schuck and George Edward

Schuck, as well as her stillborn child, Joseph Michael LaDuke.

She is survived by her husband, William Hade LaDuke; sister-in-law, Laura Rose Gatley; brother and sister-in-law, Brian Schuck and Trelva Schuck; seven children and their spouses, Aaron Hade LaDuke (Anne), Nathan Brady LaDuke (Mary Kay), Courtney Gillard (Jim), William Jesse LaDuke (Alicia), Betina Noelle Powers (Rob), Cameron Gabe LaDuke (Addie), Alyssa Ann Frost (Trevor); thirty-five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A Graveside Service will be held in Karen's honor on Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. at the Snowflake Cemetery, 600 W School Bus Ln, in Snowflake, Arizona. Following the graveside service, a Celebration of Life will be held at 4:00 p.m., at the Main Street Chapel, 48 N. Main St., in Snowflake.