Karen Louise Burns McCoy

Today, the world is poorer for the loss of Karen Louise Burns McCoy, a wise and compassionate woman. She passed peacefully with family at her side from complications of multiple sclerosis at the age of 75. Her undying love lives on in our hearts.

Karen was born June 1945 in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania and raised in Canton, Ohio. Upon graduation from McKinley High School with honors, she received a scholarship from Brigham Young University, pursuing a Bachelors degree in political science and history, two of her great passions. She later earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Utah. Both graduate degrees were earned in a year’s time, a stunning feat in itself, while also working and raising two children as a single mom.

Early on, Karen taught history at Hillcrest High School. With her MA, she was a clinical social worker, helping families with disabled preschool children. As an adjunct professor with the University of Phoenix, Dr. McCoy (aka “Bones”) taught in their MBA program. For 20 years, she worked for the Veterans Administration as an education and research specialist, TQI master trainer, and project manager in the Employee Education System. Most recently, Karen was a co-founder and Director of Organizational Development of a virtual reality company, BurrCastleXR, focused on educational opportunities and was involved in a project with the United Nations. She was also an active supporter of the Assistance League of Salt Lake City, Habitat for Humanity, League of Women Voters, Cottonwood Heights Arts Council, the Utah Food Bank, and was a mentor for many people.

She was particularly proud of her work in the VA with Native American veterans, ensuring they had access to their valiantly earned benefits. In an honoring ceremony, tribal veterans named her “Warrior Mother,” wrapping her in a blanket and gifting her an eagle feather with intricate beadwork: a rare honor for non-Natives.

She was indeed a warrior, a fierce fighter, and a survivor. She survived severe childhood abuse, making her empathetic to those in psychic pain. She endured widowhood and family travesty. Burdened with multiple sclerosis and a multitude of health issues in her later years, she continued to fight the good fight, deciding, as she put it, “to get up each day and live.”

Despite her many struggles, she lived with grace and found joy.

In 1991, she married her second husband, Don, in an art gallery. They rode away in a white, open carriage with snow gently falling, like in a fairy tale, and began their adventures together. On their first anniversary, Don surprised her with the painting that they stood before in their wedding ceremony. As she liked to say, “adoration is hard to find.” She found it.

Vivacious and inquisitive, Karen traveled the country and the world with her husband and family. She was fascinated by different cultures, discovering new foods, exploring archaeological sites, visiting museums and art galleries, and delving into local histories. We have many wonderful memories of our trips together. She’d likely list New Zealand, Italy (particularly Florence), Great Britain, and Canada among her favorite destinations. Karen walked on the Great Wall of China, stood beneath the towering dome of the Blue Mosque, rode an elephant in Thailand, swam with dolphins in Hawaii, walked the ruins of Machu Picchu, logged thousands of miles on a tandem bike with Don, and never found a National Park she didn’t love.

She was a solid, loyal supporter of those she loved and a fierce defender of her treasured family. Karen particularly relished being a grandmother and took great pride in her grandchildren. She easily connected with people wherever she went and built a cadre of lifelong friends. Her home was the nexus for many gatherings and celebrations over the years. She was a gracious hostess, providing bountiful displays of food and enjoying a glass of good wine and thoughtful conversation with her guests.

Karen was certainly one of a kind, leaving an imprint on all she met. Intelligent, witty, and insightful, even strangers wanted to take notes of her words of wisdom. Some of her favorite sayings included “pick up your crib and walk“ and “fair is where pigs win blue ribbons”….because she was also a realist.

She is predeceased by her father, Edwin Robert Burns; mother, Mildred Ruth Ament Burns; and, first husband, Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. She is survived by husband, Donald John Froese; daughter, Chante Teresa McCoy; son, Richard Floyd McCoy III; sister, Denise Miller (Gary Spangenberg); grandson, Richard Simon Riera-McCoy (whom she called “Simon, My Diamond”); and, “Grandma’s Angel,” her granddaughter, Chelsea Chante McCoy. All of these she loved and touched deeply.

May she rest comfortably in peace and – if heaven exists — be reunited with her beloved Daddy.

A celebration of Karen’s life will be held at a later date when family and friends can assemble again.