Karen Marie Conley
Karen Conley
Oct. 25, 1964 – Sept. 23, 2014
On Sept. 23, 2014, heaven gained another angel in Karen after complications from open-heart surgery. She was 49 years old.
Karen was born in Seattle on Oct. 25, 1964, to Art and Arlene Palmerton, grew up in Bellevue, and graduated from Interlake High School and Western Washington University in Bellingham, where she met the love of her life, David Conley. Karen and David were married in 1988 and they truly lived happily ever after…
Karen got to live out her childhood dream of working side by side with her dad Art, running the family business, Cope Construction Co. Karen was a partner and vice president of the company until 1996, when her dad and mentor died of cancer. She became president of the company and successfully ran Cope Construction for the next 15 years.
Inspired by the need to fight back against cancer after losing her dad, Karen became a passionate and dedicated volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Issaquah. Over the last 14 years, she helped motivate and lead a team of dedicated volunteers and the Issaquah Community to raise more than $3 million for the fight against cancer.
She also formed and was captain of Team Aloha, which over that same period raised more than $580,000 to help cancer researchers find a cure! She loved working with the youth involved with the Issaquah RFL and inspiring them to finish the fight!
Karen attended Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bellevue, where she played in the Hand Bell Choir, played hand drums for the Worship Team, volunteered leading numerous committees and loved worshipping God. She will be remembered for her ever-present smile and positive outlook on life.
Karen is survived by her devoted and loving family, husband David Conley, mom Arlene Palmerton, brothers Wayne Fisher and Jay Seale, sisters Sheri Miksa and Hope Lockwood, and numerous nieces and nephews, all whom she loved very much!
Being passionate about the fight against cancer, Karen would have wanted donations to go towards finding a cure to finish the fight. Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Issaquah in Karen’s name.
A family graveside service and burial was held Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue. A celebration of Karen’s most awesome life was held at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bellevue on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, which would have been her 50th birthday.
Karen was generally awesome! She was a loving wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. To say that she will be missed is an understatement. She was a light in this world and lived her life for God through faith, hope and love. Everything she did, she did out of love…