Karen Jean Brennan

Karen Jean Brennan, 59, of Lakeway, TX passed away peacefully on May 20, 2015 after a long battle with breast cancer fought with courage and grace. She was born November 29, 1955 in Orange, CA to Ernest and Dorothy Smith (Forbing). She graduated from Orange High School in 1973, and after attending junior college in Los Gatos, CA, moved to Idaho where she raised two daughters (Camille Teresa and Amanda Dorothy).

Besides raising her daughters, Karen's passion was the restaurant business where she worked for over 25 years, retiring in 1998 after successfully opening and managing Doughty's Bistro in Boise, ID. After her initial breast cancer diagnosis in 2004, she became a passionate advocate for support of fellow breast cancer survivors.

She is survived by her husband Jim (Lakeway, TX) daughters Amanda and Camille Staley, grandchildren Cyrus and Liliana Ortogero, all of Boise, ID; sisters Marilyn Clem (Portland, OR), Janet Hollister (Newport Beach, CA), and Beverly Kirkhart (San Luis Obispo, CA).

A memorial service will be held on May 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM at St. Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church, Austin, TX, with a reception following the service at the Flintrock Falls Clubhouse in Lakeway.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Karen's honor to her favorite charity, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, http://www.info-komen.org/goto/Karen_Brennan .