Karen Turner Whitesides

Some people walk into a room and light it up. Karen Spurlin Whitesides walked into a room and started the party.

Karen, 82, passed away on October 26, 2026, at Levine & Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville, North Carolina. Born and raised in Charlotte, Karen spent her life making people laugh, turning strangers into friends, and finding a reason to dance.

Feisty, fiercely funny, and larger than life, Karen never met a stranger. She could walk into a room knowing no one and leave with twenty new friends. She was always the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the person everyone hoped would show up.

A championship Carolina shag dancer, Karen loved beach music, especially the Chairmen of the Board, The Drifters, and “Stagger Lee.” But it didn’t matter what was playing. If there was a beat, Karen could find it, and if there was a dance floor, she was going to tear it up.

Karen and her husband, Bruce Whitesides, shared a life filled with love, laughter, and adventure. They traveled the country together, cherishing their “windshield time” filled with music and laughter. They shared a love of golf, good company, and Karen’s signature Miller Lite. Bruce remained a devoted husband, providing love and care through her final days.

Karen is survived by her husband, Bruce Whitesides; her daughter, Robbin Auten; her sons, Johnny and Jack McGarity; her grandchildren, including Samantha Thomas (Jason) and Sarah Lester (David); and her great-grandchildren, including Addy Grace and Eddie Thomas, Garrison and Paisley Lester. Bruce’s sons Bruce and Josh Whitesides and their children.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur “Bud” Turner, Jr.; her parents, Bill and Nell Spurlin; her sisters, Sylvia Hildreth and Billie Ann Peavy; and her brother, Edward Spurlin.

Karen didn’t simply attend life’s celebrations. She created them.

The party may look a little different without Karen, but because of her, the music will always play on.

A service to Celebrate Karen's life will take place on Friday, October 30, 2026 at 1:30 pm in the chapel of McEwen Funerals & Cremations at Forest Lawn West, 4601 Freedom Drive, Charlotte, NC. Visitation 1:00 pm until the time of service at the funeral home. Burial in Forest Lawn West Cemetery. Condolences may be submitted at www.forestlawnwest.com.