Karen Rae Gillis

Karen Rae Gillis, 84, of Davenport, Ia, passed away early Friday, December 29, 2023 in her sleep surrounded by family after a long fight with Dementia. Per Mom's wishes she had her body donated to the U of I medical school to help further their learning as she did in life she does in death.

A memorial celebration of her life will be held at the Holiday Inn J-Bar, 4215 Elmore Ave, Davenport, Iowa from 12-3 on Jan. 12, 2024. Jeans and T-shirts are very much welcome because you do not need to dress up. Mom would not appreciate that.

She was born December 4, 1939 to Earl Philip and Anna Mable VanderMeide in Des Moines, Iowa. Knowing that she wanted to be a nurse from a very young age, she went to the U of I Nursing school for two years, finishing at Des Moines' Mercy Hospital School of Nursing.

She married Larry Lee Gillis in 1963 in Des Moines. Together they had 3 children and finally settled down in Davenport where Karen started at Osteopathic Hospital in 1969. She would continue to work at the same hospital through all the name changes, first in the pediatrics unit, ending in the medical-surgical unit. Karen would retire from nursing finally in 2015. In her 45-plus years of nursing, she never regretted making the decision to help others. Whether it was in the hospital or at home, she always put everyone before herself.

She is survived by son Jeff of Cedar Rapids, Ia., and daughter Laurel (James)

Severt, of Davenport, Ia, grandchildren Seth Jensen, Tanci Jensen, Kymberlie Severt, and Jessyca (Peter) Grubbs, and 6 Great-grandchildren, and brother Philip VanderMeide of West Des Moines.

She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Kristen Leanne Mercer and Great-granddaughter Angelica Leanne Vega-Severt.