Karen Daum Pelham

Born Oct 4, 1942 in Gilroy, CA, Karen was married to Bill, her lifelong husband of 49 years. Together with Bill, she did an amazing job raising 5 children. Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from San Jose State University in 1964 and a Masters of Arts in Education from the College of William and Mary in 1991. A lifelong teacher, Karen touched countless lives in a teaching career spanning 50 years in California, England, Hawaii, Germany, Virginia, Colorado, and Maryland. She especially enjoyed teaching children the joy of reading. Karen loved life and always wore a big smile that brightened everybody's day. She loved her cats, traveling, horse back riding and playing with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the life of the party and had a wonderful smile that lit up the room and brought joy to everyone she interacted with.

She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Bill; her children Steve, Mike, Bob, Bryan, and Kris; 12 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren who brought great joy to her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary (http://www.wildmustangs.com/#!donate/) and Unbound (https://www.unbound.org/OurImpact/Donate), an organization that addresses poverty through sponsorships.