Karen Peterson

KAREN PETERSON
JANUARY 29, 1947 - JANUARY 13, 2023
Karen Peterson, 74, died Jan. 13, 2023, after a short illness, with close friends gathered beside her hospital bed. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rolf "Pete" Peterson and Elizabeth "Tish" Bruce Peterson, and her sister Ingrid.
A curmudgeon, cat lover, journalist, linguist and a sometimes bothersome iconoclast, Karen was born in Madison, Wisc., but grew up in Los Alamos, N.M. She earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish and Russian from the University of California-Berkeley (1969) and a master's of arts in comparative literature at the University of New Mexico (1972). She also did post-graduate work in Ibero-American studies, also at UNM, with her studies, which included a stint in Bolivia, focused on the drug trade.
Her peripatetic and adventurous life started out in academia, and she taught English and Spanish at various universities. To satisfy her passion for travel, she spent many years (1975-81) in Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain teaching at military bases through the University of Maryland. The international city of her heart, though, was Istanbul, where she often visited.
Karen had started, but never quite completed, training in flying airplanes. Instead, her love of speed drew her to motorcycles, on which she roared across Europe.
She embarked on a career in newspaper journalism in 1987, when she worked for the Rio Grande Sun, then moved on to be a features writer for the El Paso Times, staff reporter for Albuquerque Journal North, and then state government reporter for the Santa Fe New Mexican. She ended her career again at Journal North, where she wrote and edited the editorial pages and arts section. She also penned quite a few restaurant reviews.
Her colleagues fondly recall when she ruffled feathers by reporting on questionable state-supported work done at Don Imus' ranch, and on the fact that the then little-known Jeffrey Epstein was Santa Fe County's biggest payer of property tax.
Karen was a woman of great intellect and strong opinions. She loved to go fly-fishing and hiking - she spent many hours outdoors and in nature. Her beloved Trooper took her over many mountain roads. She also appreciated exploring New Mexico's rich cultural heritage, and a friend recalls sharing a magical night with her at a Zuni Shalako ceremony.
She also loved the Pacific Northwest and ventured forth on a tour of the islands off the Canadian coast some years ago.
A great cook and baker, Karen shared the results of those labors with her many friends and neighbors. Her yard was filled with beautiful flowers and fruit trees. She generously shared space with visitors in her cabin in the Conejos River area of southern Colorado. She worked on learning the accordion and even the hurdy-gurdy, with an audience of her latest rescued kitty. Her feline companions over the years must have felt they "landed in butter," an expression Karen often used.
We thank health care professionals at Christus St. Vincent Hospital for the care they provided in Karen's final days. A gathering in her memory will be scheduled later.