Barb got a call about 7:20 last night.  It was her uncle Lee (Karen’s stepfather).  He said Karen died about 40 minutes earlier.  We don’t know any details beyond that.

James was here when the call came in and went downstairs to tell Xenia.  Barb called her siblings.  I called Kim and left a voice mail message but just as I hung up she called back from her work phone.  A little while later Kim was at our door.  Her boss told her to go home.  She was in tears and Barb and I hugged her for a long time.  Kim and Barb talked and talked before Kim finally went home.  When I took James home he asked why Kim was some much more broken up about Karen than he and Xenia.  I told her that as Barb puts it, “Kim has a big heart.“  Kim has a tremendous amount of empathy for others.  She is very, very sensitive in a lot of ways.  She is a very strong person but she also feels pain much easier than others too.  Kim is very special person.  When we were in the Richland hospital and talking to Karen’s sister we discussed how much Kim was like Karen in a lot of ways.  Her strong will and her sensitivity.

Another thing I forgot about Karen was that it was her that suggested I contact Battelle about a job.  She knew they were hiring and I went to their website and found some positions that looked promising.  Within a couple days I had an interview and within 10 days or so I had a job offer which I accepted.

She will be missed.