Karen Darlene (nee Banks) St. Paul-Butler

Karen St.Paul-Butler (nee Banks) was born in Vancouver, BC, the only child of Bob and Helen Banks. She died at Aberdeen Hospital in Victoria, BC on March 3, 2025, following a three-year struggle with ALS.

Karen spent her childhood in Ladner, BC, where she graduated from high school in 1971. After graduation, she took an extended trip to Great Britain and Europe with a friend, before returning to attend Simon Fraser University. She married Andrew in 1972, and gave birth to her first son, Arian, in 1975. Karen was granted a Bachelor of Arts in Economics by SFU in 1979. The family moved to Vancouver Island in 1982 and settled in Colwood, BC. Karen’s second son, Seann, was born in Victoria in 1986.

Karen worked for some years as an auditor with the BC government, and then part-time for the School District after Seann was born. After her marriage ended, she made the difficult decision to return to university as a single parent, to pursue her passion for Astronomy. After six years of intensive studying and working, Karen graduated from the University of Victoria in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Physics. Her work terms during the course of her studies included four months at the Hertzberg Institute for Astrophysics in Saanich, eight months at the Institute for Ocean Sciences in Sidney, BC, and four months at the Gemini Observatory in La Serena, Chile.

In July 2006, Karen left Canada for Arizona to begin work at Kitt Peak National Observatory, operating large telescopes for visiting astronomers and troubleshooting technical and operational problems. She bought a home there in 2007, and continued working at Kitt Peak until November 2021, when her declining health and a diagnosis of ALS ended her career and, sadly, her retirement plans. Karen was granted a Masters degree in Astronomy in 2012, while living and working in the U.S. She was held in high esteem by her colleagues and the many international astronomers she assisted.

Karen returned to Victoria, BC in April 2022 with the assistance of her lifelong friend, Karen Furnes and her sister, Nancy Carson, to be nearer her sons and her friends in Victoria.

Karen was highly intelligent, determined and courageous, as well as kind and compassionate, and she had a good sense of humour. She was an avid cyclist and enjoyed swimming, hiking and gardening. She was also a lifelong learner, and enjoyed teaching and mentoring others.

Left to mourn are Karen’s sons, Arian and Seann, grandson Atlas, cousins Denise and Nadine, her friends, colleagues and caregivers. Special thanks to Michele, Marqueline and Rajni for their loving care and companionship. Karen requested cremation, and her ashes will be inurned in the Garden of Memories adjacent to Victoria’s Royal Oak Burial Park, on March 31, 2025.