Karen Kaye Keith

1945 - 2016

Karen Kaye Keith, 70 years old, of Healy, passed away peacefully with family by her side at Penrose Main Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Friday, May 20, 2016.
Funeral services will be officiated by Mr. and Mrs. Eddington with guest speakers Mary Killian and David James at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Tri-Valley Community Center in Healy, with a burial at the Healy Valley Cemetery and a reception following at the Community Center.
Karen was born Nov. 24, 1945, in Trenton, Michigan, to William "Paul" and Katheryn "Kaye" Ellis. Karen was the oldest of three children. Her sister, Barbara Ellis, resides in Billings, Montana, and her brother, Bill Ellis, resides in Healy.
Karen met the love of her life, Larry, in Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1964, and on Oct. 1, 1965, they happily wed and began their 48 years of marriage. Larry was stricken with cancer and passed away March 5, 2014.
Karen was one of the founders of the Tri-Valley Booster Club and will be remembered by many as a beautiful "Booster Babe." Karen also spent many hours volunteering by her husband's side in Denali National Park before becoming a full-time employee.
Karen was a hard worker and enjoyed all of her work history. In 1960-1963, she was a volunteer at the District Rangers office in Dinosaur National Monument. In 1964-1969, she was a book keeper at the United States Bank. She worked in accounting from 1970-1971 at Curtis Trucking in Denver, Colorado, and from 1971-1975 she was a teller at Custer County Bank in Custer, South Dakota.
During 1975-1976, she worked as a Special Education Teachers Aide at Custer High School in Custer, South Dakota. From 1976 to 1979, she worked with the Bureau of Reclamation at Yellowtail Dam in Montana, followed by a job as the president of the National Park Service Employee Association at Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1980-1981.
A year later, from 1982 to 1986 she was a librarian at the Tri-Valley School in Healy, and from 1986 to 1987, she was the Lunch Aide at Tri-Valley School and volunteer manager of the Tri-Valley Community Center, 1986-1988. Also in 1986 until 1993, she started her time at the McKinley Chalets as a supervisor.
In 1988-1989, she began volunteering at Denali National Park, which lead to a career at the Park from 1993-1997. She continued working in national parks for the remainder of her working years. She transfered to Grand Teton National Park, 1997-1998, and Yellowstone National Park, 2000-2001, and then back to Denali National Park in 2001-2004. In 2004-2007, she worked in Denali Park during summers and at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument during the winters. Karen spent her last years of work, 2008-2014, at Denali National Park, where she happily retired.
Karen was the most caring and giving person and could brighten a room with her beautiful smile. Many children growing up in Healy called her "mom" or "grandma" and she loved it. She loved all of Healy's children as if they were her own, never turning anyone away when in need of anything. She enjoyed NASCAR, and her favorite driver was Earnhardt, Jr. She loved wildlife, music, dancing and Elvis. She spent endless hours with her beloved puppy, family and friends, always welcoming those who stopped by to visit.
Karen is preceded in death by her husband, Larry Keith, and her father and mother, Paul and Kaye Ellis.
Karen is survived by her oldest son, Brent Keith, of Healy; middle son, BJ Keith, of Healy; and her youngest daughter, Jennifer (Patrick) McPherson, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Annette Talerico of Kemmerrer, Wyoming; grandchildren: Hannah (Raymond) Loechel, Dayln Keith, Tyler Berg, Dante Keith, Kiara Keith, McKia McPherson, Aydin McPherson, great-grandchildren: Dean Loechel and LaDessa Loechel, and siblings: Bill Ellis, of Healy, and Paulette Ellis, of Billings, Montana.
Karen had far too many friends that she considered family to list. Please remember Karen's beautiful smile and kind heart.