St George, Utah - Karen Joy Allender Pehlke passed away in the early morning of Sunday, December 3, 2023, after a brief battle with ovarian cancer. She passed peacefully with her family at her side as the sunrise cast a golden hue over the desert and red-rock mountains of St. George, Utah where Karen and her husband, David, had a home for more than 25 years.

Karen was a beautiful person, very likable and wonderfully agreeable, kind, and decent.  She was Dave's best friend and companion extraordinaire for 62 years, and Dave was hers.  They both felt most fortunate to have met each other.

Karen was born in Atlantic, Iowa in 1942 to William and Eloise Allender and moved to North Hollywood, CA with her family in 1946. She grew up with her two brothers, Kent, and Kim, and graduated from North Hollywood High School in 1960. Karen attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority and obtained her elementary teaching credential. UCSB is also where she met her future husband and life partner, Dave. They were married on August 30,1963 and lived in married students' housing at UCSB.  She graduated in 1964 and taught 2nd grade in the Goleta, CA School System.

In 1965 they moved to Port Washington, New York where they were recruited to teach. Planning to stay in Port Washington only a few years, they loved their jobs and the area so much that they stayed for 32 years and raised their daughter and son, Joy and Jon, who both attended Port Washington Schools. Karen attended every academic accomplishment and sports event of her children and could often be seen in the bleachers cheering her heart out.

Karen was a beloved teacher who cared deeply for her students and fellow teachers. She gave generously of her time and energy to her students and always believed any person could achieve their dreams through education, perseverance, and a positive outlook. Her students would often reflect that Karen was their favorite teacher, and some stayed in touch with her until her passing. Many will remember her as the teacher who drove the electric blue Camaro and created a math lesson for her students to calculate the batting averages of the 1986 NY Mets.

After 30 years of teaching, Karen joined Dave in retirement in 1997 and moved to St. George, Utah where her parents had a home. Karen and Dave continued a life of adventures and travel that would take them to every region of the globe. They especially loved sea cruises on Holland America Line where they took the 35-day Voyage of the Vikings twice, three Grand Voyages, each over 60 days, and embarked on a 111-day, around the world cruise in 2008. Karen always looked forward to new adventures and loved exploring new places, new cuisines, and making new friends from all cultures. She loved the ocean, and days "at sea" were her favorite. She and Dave also traveled extensively with her parents, her children, and her brother, Kim, and his wife, Pam.

Karen was an enthusiastic, hard-core hiker from 1999-2007.  She climbed many of the highest peaks in the Southwest, including Mt. Whitney (CA) in one hiking day, and Mt. Timpanogos in Utah.  Karen also hiked the Grand Canyon from Rim-to-Rim in one day.  She did these hikes and climbs despite two bad knees and toe/foot issues, never really finding comfortable boots. She eventually had surgery on both knees, which curtailed her hiking.  As a member of the Outback Hiking Club of Southern Utah, Karen was also a hike leader, often co-leading with Dave.  Her dearest friends were her fellow-hikers in the OHC.

In recent years, Karen and Dave bought a second home in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the same street with their daughter, Joy, and her husband, Joe, and their two sons Austin and Ash. As a result, Karen, who always loved sports, became an avid fan of her grandkids' sports, and of University of Michigan football and basketball. They also loved visiting their son, Jon, in Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, Tara and son, Skyler. Karen was beloved as a grandmother by her three grandchildren, and she greatly contributed to the happiness and enrichment of their childhood years.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. To those that knew and loved her, Karen will always be remembered for her cheerful spirit, kind heart, and her appreciation of the little things that mean the most.  In the last hours of her life, she was able to address each member of her family to tell them how much she loved and appreciated them.  Holding hands with Joy and Jon she smiled and exclaimed, "It's all love. Everything is love."