Karen Kay Bethany unexpectedly but joyfully leapt into the arms of Jesus on Sunday, January 19, 2020 after suffering a catastrophic stroke on Friday evening that she was unable to recover from. God was so generous in that she passed peacefully, surrounded by Glenn, her husband of 58 years, her two sons and their wives, John & Shelley and David & Val, and all five of her grandchildren (four by speaker phone), Josh, Jenna, Luke, Cade and Hallie. She is finally where she has always longed to be!

Karen was born to Peter Hansen Sorgenfrei and Lydia Katherine von Aschwege in Palmer, Nebraska, on November 28, 1939, and was raised in Tacoma, Washington with her brother, Gene. She graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma, and did her undergraduate work at Washington State University and the University of Colorado. She met Glenn Allen Bethany while working at Headquarters 25thAir Division, McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma…because he needed a last minute date and she took mercy on him. The date must’ve gone very well, because they married soon after. Glenn describes their marriage relationship as an “unbreakable bond” and how he and Tutu were “of one mind and spirit” in absolutely everything they did…and they were.

They raised their two sons, John and David, mostly between Colorado and Hawaii, which is where ‘Tutu’ got her nickname, ‘Grandmother’ in Hawaiian–her favorite place in the world. They retired from the Air Force in Colorado Springs in 1983, and she worked at Rockwell International for eight years, before going to work at Focus on the Family in 1991 as Dr. James Dobson’s executive assistant. She retired in 2000, but continued to volunteer at Focus for the next 20 years–quite fittingly, in the Legacy Department. Her first love was her relationship with Christ, and she was relentlessly intentional about passing her spiritual legacy to her ‘grands.’

Tutu would not want any of us who knew her to be ‘weary with sorrow’ over her passing, or to simply accept that ‘life happens.’ Instead, she would want each of us to fully embrace the hope that we can only have in Christ, and the journey He has for each of us, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves. She told us as recently as Friday morning, “We are all just pilgrims passing through.” Knowing her, she is already making preparations to welcome each of us when we get there. Her message for each of us would be: “Make sure you will BE THERE with me!!”

Karen is survived by her husband, Glenn; son, John Bethany (Shelley); son David Bethany (Valerie); grandchildren Josh Bethany, Jenna Bethany, Luke Bethany, Cade Bethany and Hallie Bethany. She is also survived by her brother, Gene Sorgenfrei (Charlene); and brother- and sister-in-law Keith and Darlene Wilson, and by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank you for making Karen’s life richer, and by being part of making her joy complete. In lieu of flowers, Karen asked that gifts to celebrate her life would be made to Focus on the Family at 800-A-FAMILY.

The Celebration of Life service for Karen Bethany will be held on Thursday, January 30th at 10:00am at The Ascent Church, 1750 Deer Creek Rd, Monument, CO 80132