1945 - September 18th, 2023
Karen Irene Millward passed away peacefully in her home on September 18, 2023. She is survived by her brother Paul Stenoien and her sister Deborah Stenoien.
Karen was born in Spokane, Washington in 1945. In 1948 the family moved to Seattle. Except for a brief stint in Washington DC, Seattle was Karen’s home for the rest of her life. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Washington with a Batchelor’s Degree in Communications. Karen retired in 2012 after forty-six years with The Boeing Company.
From a very early age, reading was one of Karen’s favorite activities. When they were kids, Karen and her brother would take the bus downtown to The Seattle Public Library every Saturday to check out books. On the way home they would stop at The Pike Place Market for a treat; usually donut holes. Books and reading continued to be great sources of pleasure for Karen during the remainder of her life.
Karen loved music. She took voice lessons for many years and was a stalwart member of the choir at Faith Lutheran Church. Karen supported the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Opera House for many years. She wasn’t just interested in classical music however and she introduced both her siblings to folk music. In the late 1960’s, small folk concerts were held at coffeehouses on “The Ave” and Karen went to many of these concerts and sang at some of them as well.
Hiking and birding were also some of her favorite activities. Karen started hiking with her sister in 1970 and that year they went hiking every weekend for an entire summer. Karen continued hiking into her seventies. A ‘lifer’ bird for Karen was a Swallow-tailed Gull. A bird native to the Galapagos Islands that somehow hitched its way to Edmonds.
After her parents' divorce, Karen was an important source of guidance and support for her younger siblings. It’s hard to believe she’s gone.