Karen Gail Depaepe

Karen Gail (Geisinger) DePaepeKaren DePaepe, passed on to be with the Lord on Friday, August 27th, 2021.  Karen was born October 2nd, 1965 to Arch & Christine Geisinger of Storm Lake, Iowa. Growing up, she had a happy childhood and enjoyed playing tennis, the violin and piano, cheerleading and working at “The Courtroom” clothing store on Lake Street.  After graduating from Storm Lake High School, Karen attended Iowa State University where she was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. In 1988, she graduated Cum Laude from ISU with a degree in Marketing and her sights on success.

She headed southwest to Scottsdale, AZ where she worked for Concepts II, at the Phoenician Resort doing marketing and event planning. She made several friends and had several opportunities to travel to California. She fell in love with San Francisco and by 1990 had accepted a position at DFS – Duty Free Shoppers, Ltd. During her time at DFS, she gained marketing knowledge and traveled to Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong.

Karen was an enthusiastic bike rider, and 1997, she met Eric “Rick” DePaepe while biking. They married in July of 1999 and were blessed with two handsome sons, Andrew and David.  In 2005, Karen accepted a position with Wells Fargo Bank where she excelled as VP of Marketing - Online Sales. In 2007, Karen and Rick divorced, but continued to lovingly co-parent until Karen became ill.  She is remembered as an amazing, smart, talented, vibrant woman with an incredible smile, and joyful laugh. She will be dearly missed.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Archibald and Christine Geisinger. Left to cherish her memories are her sons: Andrew and David DePaepe of Lafayette, California; Sister: Elizabeth Hatch of Lake View, Iowa; Brother: Stephen (Donna) Geisinger of Kansas City, Missouri; Nieces: Laura (Nate) Knoll of Omaha, Nebraska and Nicole Hatch of Dallas, Texas. Nephews: Josh Hatch of Lake View, Iowa; John (Caitlin) Geisinger of Houston, Texas; Scott (Molly) Geisinger of Kansas City, Missouri; Thomas Geisinger (Emma Meinking) of New York, New York; and Ryan (Amanda) Kinney of Kansas City, Kansas; along with extended family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held in Storm Lake, Iowa. (Date to be determined.) The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to a charity of your choice, in Karen’s name and/or memorials/cards sent to Stephen Geisinger, 102 The Woodlands, Kansas City, MO, 64119.