Karen Beatty Delisle

Karen Beatty Delisle was born on September 12, 1947, in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Robert and Patricia Beatty. She grew up there with her sisters, Maureen and Patricia, until the family relocated to Florida. Karen passed away on September 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Florida became her lifelong home, where she lived in Ft Lauderdale, the Ormond Beach area, and Winter Springs. Karen lived with endless energy and passion for life. She was an avid kayaker and bicyclist. She loved the water and treasured her dogs. She had an amazing ability to connect with people immediately and make them feel seen and cared for. She dedicated most of her professional life to nursing and valued her role as a psychiatric nurse the most, where she often said she had found “her people”. After retiring from nursing, she returned to Ormond Beach and became passionately involved in community advocacy. She joined Fighting Against Injustice Toward Harmony (FAITH), which helped bring the First Step Shelter to Daytona Beach, worked against capital punishment and food insecurity, and advocated for affordable housing and homeless students in Volusia County. Her faith was central to her life. She was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, where she both led and participated in spiritual and emotional support groups.

Above all, Karen loved her family. She is survived by her children, whom she deeply loved, Tony, Renée, and Brian, her beloved grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren, with whom she delighted in playing, watching grow, and celebrating milestones. She treasured her children’s spouses, Alexis, Jim, and Takami, whom she leaned on during challenging times.

She also cherished her friendships, and the many people she came to know and love in her community, including longtime friends, neighbors, and, in many instances, people she just met. Karen especially enjoyed traveling, whether on cruises with her nephew Chris and Stephen, visiting New York City to ride the Five Boro Bike Tour, going to Alaska with friends, Rome to see the Pope, or heading west to ride horses. She always sought adventure, was able to express joy, and share laughter. Karen’s life is defined by compassion, service, and love, and she is deeply missed by everyone who became part of her life, including her children’s father Frank.

Her service is planned for September 12, her 78th birthday, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Daytona Beach at 2 PM. The family has asked for donations to First Steps (https://firststepshelter.org) instead of flowers.