Karen Elise Peterson was born September 28, 1937 in Queens, New York. She passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Karen worked at Sandia National Laboratory for over 15 years where she truly enjoyed helping process the paperwork packages for retirees and organizing the yearly retiree picnic. In her spare time, she enjoyed going to the zoo and she really loved to watch game shows, work on fill-in and word search puzzles and play solitaire.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Barbara Hawthorn; parents, Arthur and Alva Peterson; sister, Audrey and by her brother, Donald.

Karen is survived by her two children, Catherine Hall and husband Rick of Idaho, Kellie Casteel and husband John of New Mexico; 14 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; as well as other family members and friends who loved and will miss her.