Karen Ann King

Karen King of Lubbock, TX passed away Sunday, October 22, 2023 at the age of 82. She was born March 31, 1941 to Kenneth and Bernice Tarp in San Jose, CA.

Karen graduated from Los Altos High School in 1958. She attended San Jose State and then transferred and graduated from Chico State with a BA in Psychology. She moved from Santa Clara, CA to Mercury, NV to work as a Digitizer of Seismic Records at the nuclear test site. It was there that she met Jerry King in 1963. They soon married on July 26, 1963 in Las Vegas, NV. She worked as a Case Worker for the welfare department in Las Vegas. Jerry and Karen moved to Lubbock, TX in 1970 where the California girl really embraced the West Texas lifestyle.

Highlights of her career in Lubbock involved working at South Plains Association of Governments (SPAG) where she was a skilled grant writer for community development. She also contributed to the development of the Jim Kimmel Center. She then became Director of Operations and Development at South Plains Food Bank. She was involved with many food bank activities such as Stuff the Bus and U Can Share Food Drive. Needless to say, if there was a food drive, she was there. She also enjoyed serving on the Boards for Goodwill and South Plains Food Bank.

Karen was an outgoing person who always had a smile on her face. She was in a bridge club that spanned the decades where she made lifelong friends. Growing up, she spent time in Lake Tahoe, NV, where her love for casinos was born. This continued through her many trips to Ruidoso, NM and Laughlin, NV with Jerry. She loved gardening and became a Certified Master Gardener. She spent countless hours gardening in yard. She was always active and loved yoga and water aerobics. Karen loved Tech sports, and Saturdays were devoted to Tech football. She was also a season ticket holder to Tech men and women's basketball. She could always be found with her guns-up singing along to the Tech fight song. She loved spending time with all her grandchildren and her great grandchild and was affectionally called Gaga.

Karen is survived by her three children, four grandchildren, and one great granddaughter: Steve King of Lubbock, Shelley Bridges and husband Will Bridges of North Carolina, and Becky King and husband Brian Jelinek of Austin, TX. Grandchildren Bryan and wife Linda King of Lubbock, Falon King of Lubbock, and Austin and Isabella Bridges of North Carolina, and granddaughter Citaly King of Lubbock. And, her loyal canine companion, Fritz, who never left her side.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Lubbock for the incredible care they provided.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The South Plains Food Bank and/or The American Cancer Society. A memorial will be held at Combest Family Funeral Home, in the Oakcrest Suite, at 2210 Broadway Lubbock, TX on October 26, 2023, from 10am-2pm.