On March 16, 2023, Karen Kraus, 74, passed peacefully from her life in San Antonio, Texas, into the arms of her Savior in Heaven.

Born in Coral Gables, Florida, the beloved only child of her parents, Charlie and Helen Cole, Karen spent her early years living humbly and enjoying time on the beach with family and friends. Even as a young girl, she was a lover of the arts. She danced and played clarinet and always found joy in music. Karen also excelled in academics and, after graduating from Southwest Miami High School, joined the army and attended the University of Maryland. She was accepted into the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing (WRAIN) program and later received her Master of Nursing degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Through her hard work and sacrifice, Karen spent her career serving others as a nurse practitioner and an army reserve officer, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Karen was known for her love of travel, art, and culture. After remarrying in the 80's, she moved to Germany with the military and toured Europe, Russia, and Egypt. She visited half the states of the U.S. during her lifetime. Her favorite ways to spend time included attending concerts and trips to the symphony, visiting museums, cheering the Dolphins and Spurs, dancing, learning to cross stitch and sew and craft and paint, cooking, cake decorating, and sampling fine cuisine.

From the sunshine of Florida till her passing, Karen spent her life bringing rays of sunshine into the lives of everyone she knew. As a nurse practitioner, she shared her positive attitude and caring heart with patients at Brook Army Medical Center, in private practice, and in hospice care. As a friend, she was known for cracking jokes and having fun, but also for her loyalty, often keeping friendships for many decades. As a wife, Karen displayed love and faithfulness through both of her marriages. Even to strangers in prison or sponsored children across the world, she brought hope and encouragement, showing them that they are valuable and special, that God loves them. As a grandmother to four, Karen was a constant source of joy. She was attentive to the lives of her grandkids and generous, always surprising them with gifts and taking them fun places. And for her two daughters, Kristi and Laura, she was their hard-working single mother who brought strength, stability, and gentleness into their often-tumultuous lives. Karen was their rock. She taught by example: Find the silver lining in any hardship, value every human being, be kind, and don't ever give up.

All who knew Karen feel the void of her absence because they knew the sweetness of her presence. Her light now shines for eternity!

Karen is pre-deceased by her parents and her half-brother, Clyde. She is survived by her daughters, Laura Charters and Kristi Davis, and her four grandchildren, Megan, Nathan, Owen, and Peyton Davis.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, World Vision, or KLRN.