Obituary for Karen Donley
Donley (Walden), Karen Lee
Treasured wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend died in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at the age of 86.
Karen was born on December 28, 1936, in Caro, Michigan to Frank and Viola (Layer) Walden. After graduating high school as class valedictorian, Karen attended Central Michigan University where she received a bachelor’s degree in education. Following this, she attended the University of Michigan where she received her master’s degree in education. While these degrees were impressive for a young woman in the 1950’s, she was most proud of earning them without the benefit of any financial aid. That experience set the tone for a life of hard work, service to others, commitment to her church, and dedication to family and friends. Karen went on to become a passionate educator teaching children in multiple school districts until she eventually arrived in the classroom of Saint Joseph’s Catholic School in Lake Orion, Michigan where she taught for 15 years.
While it’s hard to imagine Karen frequenting bars, we’re grateful she stepped into a tavern in New Baltimore, Michigan in the winter of 1960 as that’s where she met her great love and future husband, Michael A. Donley. Married on September 30, 1961, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, theirs was a wonderful love story full of adoration, commitment, honesty, and respect mixed with a lot of patience and a dash of good humor.
The simplest things in life brought Karen great joy. She loved a quiet evening on the back patio with family and a glass of wine in hand. She was a veracious reader, and wonderful cook. The debate rages on as to which is best - her apple pie, cinnamon rolls, chocolate toffee, or round ball cookies. Karen enjoyed many types of games and whenever surrounded by family; you could be sure she would seize the opportunity for a game of dominos. Her kind and compassionate spirit led her to many volunteer positions. Habitat for Humanity, Friends of the Library, and Washtenaw Community College, where she and her brother supported a scholarship for kids pursuing a career in education or medicine, were just a few of the beneficiaries of her commitment to serving others.
While there are many things we loved about Karen, perhaps her greatest attribute was her unique ability to provide calm and stability in all situations. She was our rock, our steady hand and the moral compass for our family. Whether faced with the death of her daughter, Brionna, the death of her husband, Mike, her own breast cancer diagnosis (twice), the loss of a grandchild, or her final colon cancer diagnosis, she remained remarkably unwavering in her faith in Jesus Christ and in her belief that “this too shall pass”. Her grace and peace during life’s worst storms was God’s gift to her and her gift to us.
Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Michael Donley, daughter, Brionna Stout (Donley); infant daughter, Sharon Donley; father, Frank Walden; and mother, Viola Walden (Layer).
She is survived by her daughter, Ann (David Vezina); daughter Patricia (Barry Klein); son-in-law Greg Stout; six grandchildren, Matthew, Alivia (Christopher Ervasti), Grace, Mary, Kathryn and Kevin; and brother Jerry Walden.
According to her wishes, cremation has taken place, and her remains will be buried together with her husbands at the St. Mary Queen of Creation Cemetery in New Baltimore, Michigan. A funeral mass will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, Michigan on April 21, 2023 at 11:00 am. A luncheon to celebrate Karen’s life will follow immediately after mass.
We would like to express a heartfelt thank you to Faith Hospice of Grand Rapids, Michigan for their medical expertise and compassionate care during the final weeks of Karen’s life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Faith Hospice at https://faithhospicecare.org/donate/
Treasured wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend died in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at the age of 86.
Karen was born on December 28, 1936, in Caro, Michigan to Frank and Viola (Layer) Walden. After graduating high school as class valedictorian, Karen attended Central Michigan University where she received a bachelor’s degree in education. Following this, she attended the University of Michigan where she received her master’s degree in education. While these degrees were impressive for a young woman in the 1950’s, she was most proud of earning them without the benefit of any financial aid. That experience set the tone for a life of hard work, service to others, commitment to her church, and dedication to family and friends. Karen went on to become a passionate educator teaching children in multiple school districts until she eventually arrived in the classroom of Saint Joseph’s Catholic School in Lake Orion, Michigan where she taught for 15 years.
While it’s hard to imagine Karen frequenting bars, we’re grateful she stepped into a tavern in New Baltimore, Michigan in the winter of 1960 as that’s where she met her great love and future husband, Michael A. Donley. Married on September 30, 1961, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, theirs was a wonderful love story full of adoration, commitment, honesty, and respect mixed with a lot of patience and a dash of good humor.
The simplest things in life brought Karen great joy. She loved a quiet evening on the back patio with family and a glass of wine in hand. She was a veracious reader, and wonderful cook. The debate rages on as to which is best - her apple pie, cinnamon rolls, chocolate toffee, or round ball cookies. Karen enjoyed many types of games and whenever surrounded by family; you could be sure she would seize the opportunity for a game of dominos. Her kind and compassionate spirit led her to many volunteer positions. Habitat for Humanity, Friends of the Library, and Washtenaw Community College, where she and her brother supported a scholarship for kids pursuing a career in education or medicine, were just a few of the beneficiaries of her commitment to serving others.
While there are many things we loved about Karen, perhaps her greatest attribute was her unique ability to provide calm and stability in all situations. She was our rock, our steady hand and the moral compass for our family. Whether faced with the death of her daughter, Brionna, the death of her husband, Mike, her own breast cancer diagnosis (twice), the loss of a grandchild, or her final colon cancer diagnosis, she remained remarkably unwavering in her faith in Jesus Christ and in her belief that “this too shall pass”. Her grace and peace during life’s worst storms was God’s gift to her and her gift to us.
Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Michael Donley, daughter, Brionna Stout (Donley); infant daughter, Sharon Donley; father, Frank Walden; and mother, Viola Walden (Layer).
She is survived by her daughter, Ann (David Vezina); daughter Patricia (Barry Klein); son-in-law Greg Stout; six grandchildren, Matthew, Alivia (Christopher Ervasti), Grace, Mary, Kathryn and Kevin; and brother Jerry Walden.
According to her wishes, cremation has taken place, and her remains will be buried together with her husbands at the St. Mary Queen of Creation Cemetery in New Baltimore, Michigan. A funeral mass will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, Michigan on April 21, 2023 at 11:00 am. A luncheon to celebrate Karen’s life will follow immediately after mass.
We would like to express a heartfelt thank you to Faith Hospice of Grand Rapids, Michigan for their medical expertise and compassionate care during the final weeks of Karen’s life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Faith Hospice at https://faithhospicecare.org/donate/