Karen S. Polian

Karen was born on June 26, 1947, to Grace and Carl Tucker in Pomona, California. After Karen graduated from Bonita High School in La Verne, CA, in 1965, she went on to study at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona.

After graduating with a degree in social sciences in 1970, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she met Kevin Polian, who was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at the time. Karen married Kevin in 1972, and they went on to have two children, Kevin Jr. and Kristine.

Karen spent the first years of their children’s lives raising Kevin and Kristine, but eventually went to work at Learjet to manage their employee store for several years. The Polian Family moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1988, where Karen worked in banking and again at Learjet until her retirement in 2000. Karen remained in Wichita until the last year of her life, where she moved to the Lawrence, Kansas area to be closer to her children.

Karen loved arts and crafts and was an incredible artist. She created beautiful oil paintings, learned how to wheat weave beautiful works of art, decorated all her children’s birthday cakes and crocheted her family blankets. Her passion for creativity was immense. Karen volunteered at the El Dorado Prison for seven years, teaching inmates in the mental health ward how to wheat weave.

Karen will be remembered most for her infectious laughter, her witty one-liners and her love for her family. She will be missed by many, but is finally at peace and with her husband and true love, Kevin.

Karen was predeceased by her mother, Grace Tucker; her father, Carl Tucker; and her husband, Kevin; along with many of her extended family. She is survived by her children, Kevin Jr. and Kristine; grandchildren, Khloe, Reece, Brendan, Kathryn; and siblings, Dale (Sandi Jerome) Tucker, Rick (Sandy) Tucker, Dave Tucker, and Nancy (Ed) Flanders.

A visitation will be held Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 5PM-7PM at Resthaven Mortuary and a funeral service for Karen will be held Friday, November 3, 2023 at 3:00 PM, both at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ResthavenMortuary-Cemetery.com for the Polian family.