Karen Lynn Guthrie-Mehlert

Karen, the oldest of three siblings, was preceded in death by her mother, Barbara Guthrie (2019), and her father, Richard Guthrie (2021), and is survived by her husband Ron, son Craig Guthrie-Crandall (Camille Iorio), and her blended family members, Jennifer Soderstrom (Dave), Julie Marquez (Dennis), Jeremy Mehlert (Dawn), brother Mark (Marilyn), sister Jodi Guthrie-Marty (Lucky), nine grandkids, seven (soon to be eight) great grandkids, nieces, and nephews.

She attended Lewis & Clark High School where she played clarinet in All City Band, always competing for first chair. She was a varsity cheerleader when LC won the state football championship in 1967, and was on the debate team, remembering with fondness beating the boys from Prep.

After graduating high school in 1968, Karen attended Washington State University (GO COUGS) majoring in and receiving her BA in Speech Pathology and Education in 1972. While at WSU she was pledge class ‘68 President of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She continued her lifelong relationships with her sisters, and after retiring organized annual “sisters' gatherings”.

Karen taught elementary school in the Shoreline School District, in Seattle, for 30 years then rehiring and teaching for an additional four years. Her students proclaimed her to be “the best teacher in the whole world”. She was also a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an International Honorary Organization for Women Educators. Karen implored her students to “Believe in yourself. You will go great places if you listen to your heart as well as your head. Always be happy.”

Karen loved her life. Her greatest joy was giving birth to her son Craig in 1981 and being there for him as he grew into the man, he is today...always believing in him, never wavering. As she put him on the bus for his first day of school, she assured him he would make lots of friends and learn to read. As Craig got off the bus after his first day at school, he told his mom he hadn’t learned to read.

Karen met her husband Ron while teaching and he was a fire fighter teaching fire safety education in the Shoreline community. They were married on December 21, 1988, and continued to live in the greater Seattle area until retirement in 2006 when they began spending their time between San Tan Valley, Arizona and Priest Lake, Idaho.

Karen was deeply touched by her best friend Andre’s and her sister Jodi’s courageous battles with breast cancer. She began raising funds for the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure, a 50-mile walk to end Breast Cancer, walking in Seattle, Shoreline, and Phoenix. Later, she volunteered to crew for 3 Day walkers cheering them on, (“Woo-hoo”), and providing that emotional support to get them to the finish. At her local golf course in Arizona, she began and co-chaired an annual charity golf tournament, Rally for the Cure, that raised funds for Mammograms for residents who didn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford to get screened.

Karen loved to fish with her mom and dad, watch Mariner games with Craig, play golf especially with Ron, play soccer, read a book on the beach, water ski, run Bloomsday and many other fun runs, ride her bike, sing in chorale groups or on the golf course or in the car between Arizona and Idaho, pick huckleberries and make jam, dance, shop... she really did love her life.

Karen requests donations be made to ALSSO Spokane. Go to ALSSO Spokane website to donate.

There will be a memorial service September 12, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave. Spokane, WA. 99203, Family and friends are asked to wear casual Cougar and or golf attire to the service.

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die; and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction; but they are in peace.

The Wisdom of Solomon 3: 1-3