Karen Louise Klint

Born on December 14, 1943, Karen grew up in Fresno’s Fig Garden neighborhood and graduated from Bullard High School, where she was active in school programs, including the chorus. She earned her teaching credential at Fresno State College and then moved to San Jose, where she made her home and built her career. For 36 years, Karen taught kindergarten in the San Jose Unified School District, 13 years at Williams Elementary School and 23 years at Simonds Elementary School. She welcomed generations of five-year-olds on their first days of school and sent them on their way with a lasting love of learning.

Karen’s curiosity took her around the world, and she was seldom without a new book to read or a new story to tell. No sooner had she returned from one journey than she began planning the next.

She loved to sing and shared her gift with the Zingers, a community benefit choral group serving the Greater Bay Area. A longtime season ticket holder of the San Jose Sharks, Karen was a familiar presence at “the Tank,” cheering on her beloved team. She was also an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.

Karen was a lifetime member of American Association of University Women and one year earned the top spot for fundraising for the entire country. She also was part of the Assistance League of

San Jose, an all-volunteer nonprofit that runs community programs for children, families, and seniors.

Karen was preceded in death by her father, Charles Klint, and her mother, Ruby Naomi (Fuller) Klint, both of Fresno, and by her sister, Gloria Lorelei (Klint) Heffernan of Santa Cruz. She is survived by seven nieces and nephews, who will continue to share her stories.

Karen will be dearly missed for her wit and her place at holiday tables and lunches with friends. Her family and friends take comfort in knowing she is now at rest in her eternal home.

A Celebration of Life is currently planned for Saturday, November 14 at 12:00 at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to one or both of the following organizations:

*CalRTA Scholarship Foundation, 4564 Cimarron River Ct., San Jose, CA 95136. CalRTA’s mission is to protect and advocate for retired and active educators’ pension and other retirement benefits and to support public education in our communities.

*The Zingers, ℅ First Congregational Church of San Jose, 1980 Hamilton Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125. Karen loved to sing and was a member of this all volunteer choral group. The Zingers do several free concert performances around the Greater Bay Area