Karen Mendoza was born on December 18, 1949 to Robert Goddard and Charlotte Hawkins. She grew up in Wichita with her younger brother Brad and 10 years later with her twin siblings Fred and Fran. As a young girl she was involved in Girls Scouts and also babysat. Her high school job was hostess at The Lazy R Restaurant on South Seneca. She graduated from South High School in 1967. She went to Kansas City Business School and later majored in Business at Wichita State University.
Karen married her high school sweetheart Nick on May 26, 1972. She and Nick raised son Travis, daughter Rebecca and son James. The family enjoyed a variety of activities throughout the years that included bowling, camping and ski trips. Karen enjoyed being Trey and Emma’s nearby grandma. She also enjoyed being the adopted grandmother to Jordan Koerner and Ashlie Carnes.
She had a long career in bookkeeping and accounting. She worked for Fidelity Savings and Loan and Pioneer Balloon Company where she retired in 2009.
After retirement Karen served as a volunteer for the Kansas Firefighter Museum as their bookkeeper. She and Nick enjoyed going out to lunch and dinner and spending lazy days and evenings at Table Rock Lake. The got together often with friends and family to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and just to have a great time. She, Nick and her kids also enjoyed spending vacations together. Karen’s father had been to Alaska and suggested that they should go. So in 2010 they took a land and sea cruise that turned out to be the best trip that they had ever taken. They also traveled to various states when time allowed and met up with friends they hadn’t seen in decades.
In 2007 she began experiencing health issues that were a result of her juvenile diabetes. On Sunday, May 10, 2020 while she and Nick were at Table Rock Lake she fell ill and passed away on Saturday June 13, 2020.
Memorials can be made to, Kansas Firefighters Museum. A come and go viewing from 9a-4p, Friday, June 19th, Funeral Service 10am, Sat, June 20th, both at Resthaven Mortuary.
Karen's Funeral Service will be live streamed on Resthaven Mortuary's Facebook.
