Karen Jane Bables

Karen Bables, a dedicated educator, writer, and spiritual leader, and generous supporter of causes across the world, passed away on December 4, 2025, at the age of 83 after a long battle with multiple myeloma. Born on October 4, 1942, Karen grew up in Holland, MI, and graduated from Holland High School in 1960. She went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in English from Hope College in 1964. She then began teaching English at Jenison Junior High while earning a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Western Michigan University in 1967.

Karen began her professional life teaching teenagers, but she soon discovered that her passion lay in teaching adults. She loved to tutor adult learners. Realizing the need was broader than she could meet on her own, she founded the Family Literacy Center, dedicated to helping working adults improve their lives by learning to read, and led the Center from 1984-1997. Recognizing the lack of teaching materials aimed at adults, she wrote a novel designed for beginning adult readers.

Karen loved to read and write. A day didn’t go by without her commenting on something she had read in one of the two or three books she was reading and annotating. A close reader could follow her progress by reading her own writing. As a freelance writer, she was an Assistant Editor for the Church Herald and contributed devotionals for Words of Hope, both publications of the Reformed Church in America. Later in life, she created the blog Living as Apprentices of Jesus, which reached followers across the world. She wrote the blog from 2012-2024, when she entrusted it to a close friend.

Both personally and professionally, Karen dedicated her life to serving others. Professionally, she served as the Assistant Director of the Good Samaritan Center in Holland as well as the Senior Manager for the Michigan Chapter of the National MS Society. Personally, she was a passionate advocate for global causes. Karen sponsored many children through Compassion International, maintaining close relationships via letter writing with up to seven children at a time. She also donated generously to her favorite causes and cherished the letters she received from organizations she supported. Her selfless giving was central to her life, as she often said, “My favorite thing to do is give away money to my favorite causes. That is what makes life worth living.”

Karen’s deep faith shaped her life. She studied Spiritual Formation at Spring Arbor University and became the Spiritual Formation Director at Christ Memorial Church, where she served from 2009 to 2014. Her bookshelves, housing hundreds of books on spiritual formation and discipleship, testified to her passion for a faith informed by both experience and intellect.

A deep believer in the power of education, she became an adult literacy tutor and founded the Family Literacy Center, where she worked from 1984 to 1997. She was also the Senior Manager for the Michigan Chapter of the National MS Society from 1997 to 2007.

Karen was deeply involved in politics, holding strong convictions about justice and equality. She was known for her generosity, humility, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others.

She is survived by her two sons, Kelly and Ryan, their wives, Laura and Leanne, and 5 grandchildren, Lauryn, Jenna, Nathaniel, Rachel, and Emily. There will be a celebration of life in early January, with details pending.

Please visit www.lakeshorememorial.com for further information.