Karen Philippa Praeger

November 1, 1955 – November 28, 2021

Karen Praeger passed away while her husband held her hand on Sunday, November 28, 2021 after fighting a battle with colon cancer. She was born Karen Philippa Screech on November 1, 1955 in Hackney South East, London, England to Kenneth Brian Screech and Mary Elizabeth Horwood. She had only one sibling, her younger sister Nicola Keller.

Karen came to America at the age of 11 with her family. They lived in Sierra Madre where she attended Alverno Heights Academy catholic school. She loved school. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in English from Cal State University Los Angeles in 1976. Later in life, she received her Master's of Library and Information Science in 2003 from San Jose State University. She also attended Citrus College in Glendora as a student.

She worked at Robinsons and Hinshaw’s department stores and she loved those jobs. Always having a love of books, she began a career with Citrus College in 1998 as an hourly Library Media Assistant and retired in 2016 as a Library Reference Technician. Karen also served as an adjunct instructor. Karen was a lifelong learner, an avid reader and enjoyed all things revolving around the library and literature. She really loved helping Citrus students! While she worked at Citrus College, she was the first recipient of the Above & Beyond Classified Development (ABCD) award in 2013.

She was a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Delta Zeta Sorority, Beatrix Potter Society, and Barbara Pym Society.

She loved books and you would always catch her reading. She enjoyed British mystery books such as Agatha Christie. She also enjoyed having tea and visiting the tea shop in downtown San Dimas. She was a member of the Beatrix Potter Society and avid collector of anything and everything to do with Beatrix Potter. Karen enjoys reading, especially British mysteries. She likes browsing in unique book shops, gardening, baking, spending time relaxing in the sun (usually while reading). She likes shopping at the outlet stores, collecting English bone china and writing notes to people.

The library was her favorite place. She loved books and reading. She also loved bible study, and a bible study fellowship she was involved in.

Even though she says that England is in her soul always, her proudest moment was becoming an American citizen in 2003.

She loved her friends and family, especially her best friend, Laurie Wise.

In 1979 she married Robert Praeger (Bob), and they have lived in the same house in Azusa since then. They had 5 children, Kevin, Catherine, Elizabeth, Victoria, and Kenneth. They were all born 3 years apart which was planned.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth Brian Screech (2003) and Mary Elizabeth Horwood (2017). She is survived by her husband Robert Claude Praeger, five children Kevin Paul Praeger (Penny), Catherine Mary Curtsinger (Brian), Elizabeth Rose Breneman (Justin), Victoria Alice Murphy (Shaun), Kenneth Robert Praeger, her sister Nicola Vivienne Keller (Terry), and two grandchildren Elvery Joy Praeger and Philip Allen Curtsinger. She also had 6 step grandchildren (Chad Murphy, Timothy Murphy, Jhett Buggle, Aspen Curtsinger, Taylor Curtsinger, Destiny Tudela) who she loved and adored and welcomed into her family with open arms.

Services and burial were held on Friday, January 14, 2022, at 3:00 pm at Oakdale Memorial Park, 1401 S Grand Avenue, Glendora.