Pictured with her firstborn daughter, Vennessa Chow, 1980.

Karen Lee Chow, devoted mother and poet of Rainier, Washington, died on November 25, 2017 at the age of 62 after suffering from Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) diagnosed just this past July.  This is a very aggressive type of cancer always considered Stage IV.

Karen is survived by her husband, Jeff Chow; her children, Vennessa, Kimberly, Matthew, and Cassandra Chow; her grandchild; Mei Lynn Belle Lotus; and her siblings, Wendy Candela (Roberts) of Maryland, Dorrie Leukhardt (Roberts)(Uber) of California, Craig Roberts, and Robin Roberts, both of Hawaii.  She is also survived by eight nephews and nieces, Cyndie Billings (Uber), John Uber, Christina Neve, Robin Roberts, Jr, Cameron Roberts, Cherie Murashige (Roberts), Michael Candela, and Rachel Candela; and six great nieces and nephews along with numerous cousins.

Karen is predeceased by her parents; Lt Col Louis A. Roberts, Jr. USAF Retired, and her mother, Doris E. Roberts, PhD (Metaphysics).

Karen Lee was born in San Diego, California on April 25, 1955 and raised her family in Rainier, Washington since the 1990’s.

She grew up as a military dependent and has lived all over the country from Kansas (Forbes AFB) to Laramie, Wyoming, then on to Rome, New York, San Diego, California, Arlington, Virginia (Pentagon), and finally Kailua, Hawaii (Hickam AFB) graduating from Kailua High School in 1974.  As an adult, in the late 1970’s she moved back to San Diego to live with her sisters, then on to Los Angeles where she met and married her husband, Jeff Chow.  As their family grew with their first daughter, Vennessa born in 1979, they moved to Washington state and bought a country home in Rainier.   Jeff is a renowned Chinese Chef, working out of restaurants in both Seattle and Takoma, commuting home at every opportunity to be with Karen and their family.

As a full-time mother, artist, and poet, Karen Lee was a very special person in many ways.  She wrote a journal book of poetry called “How to Feel – Take a Special Spiritual Journey into Thoughts and Feelings” published in 2002 by 1^stBooks Library.  In 1986, she had taken a journey of soul and spirit.  Karen went nowhere, yet went everywhere her thoughts could travel.  She expanded her mind with understanding and climbed into the depths of feeling.  With her book, she wanted to touch others in the same way.  Karen didn’t expect everyone to agree with what she had found in the deep recess of her heart, her soul, but she hoped others would hear her out and take their own journey with her.  People, who she only knew online, read her newsletter saying much about her wit, her wisdom, and her poems.   In addition, this book was a family affair to include contributions and illustrations created by her daughters at ages 14, 10, and 23, edited by her mother (Dr. Dris), and with a credit to her son, Matthew Chow, for the idea of her poem, “No More Gloom”.

There is a special place in her loving family’s heart and in Rainier, Washington, where a beautiful tree is planted in her memory.