Karen was born to John (Jay) and Betty Ritchie on May 22, 1959. She grew up in St. Clair Shores and attended Lakeview High School, Class of 1977. She married her high school sweetheart, Wayne Cameron, in 1980. Their one and only child, Amanda, was born in 1981. Karen and Wayne divorced in 1990 but remained close over the years. Karen was later engaged to David Maynard, with whom she discovered her love and compassion for animals and began fostering, which ultimately led to her opening Bed & Biscuit Pet Lodging. While they never married, Karen and Dave remained close friends until her passing. Karen spent the last 15 years with her fiancé, Gerard (Jerry) Lemieux, who was her primary caregiver and who took extraordinary care of her throughout her battle with cancer.
Karen began her career with SMZ Advertising in the mid-1980s where she worked on several successful ad campaigns and discovered her love for Cadillacs. She has driven a Caddy ever since, even transporting dogs in luxury. She developed a passion for helping animals in the mid-1990s through volunteering and fostering and has rescued 1500+ animals in the 30 years since. She turned her love of animals into a successful business in Bed & Biscuit Pet Lodging in 1996 when she traded her suits and heels for muddy clothes and “poop shoes” and never looked back. She grew the business from the ground up and her legacy will continue through Bed & Biscuit.
Karen also had a passion for music and was known for her “toes on the stage” photos from the countless concerts she attended. She began dabbling in photography at concerts and quickly took to learning more about photography and editing as a hobby. Her skills caught the attention of many of the musicians she photographed and she even developed relationships with some famous rockers.
One of Karen’s favorite places was Metropolitan Beach where she could frequently be found walking her dogs along the water. She also loved the family cottage on Bertha Lake and was fortunate to have been able to make a few more trips there in the last year of her illness, which brought her great joy. She enjoyed the water, boating and travelling in her RV, if only around Michigan.
Karen touched countless lives, both two-legged and four-legged, throughout her life. Her passing leaves a huge hole in all our lives and she will be greatly missed.
Visitation will be Thursday, June 17th 4 pm – 8 pm and Friday, June 18th from 1 pm – 8 pm with a service at 6 pm at Kaul Funeral Home, 28433 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores. A “going away party” will be held Saturday, June 19th at Metro Beach from 12 pm – 4 pm.
In lieu of flowers, Karen’s wish was for donations to be made to her favorite animal rescues, All About Animals Rescue (https://allaboutanimalsrescue.org/how-to-help/) and/or Detroit Pit Crew (https://detroitpitcrew.com/).
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