Karen Ann Harmon

Karen Ann Phipps Harmon was born on January 7, 1959, to Kenneth and Doris Phipps. Her brother Kenneth, Jr. was 14 and her sister Kathy was 13, so Karen was a much loved late-life surprise for her parents. With the help of her older siblings, Karen quickly learned to crawl, walk, speak, then read by the time she was 3. That quick mind served Karen well as an adult; she joined the travel industry, helped design travel packages, then flew all over the world as a tour guide for the groups that signed up for those packages.

It was through that work in the travel industry that she met her husband, Dennis Harmon. They continued to travel for about 11 years before deciding to add to their family; their son Dillon Reed Harmon was born on November 2, 1999.

Karen was an amazing and dedicated mother. She spent hours each day home schooling Dillon, then encouraged Dillon to participate in various sports so that her evenings and weekendswere often as busy as her weekdays. Karen also taught Dillon the virtue of volunteering, both for the city and for the animal shelter. When Dillon began his goal of becoming a certified drone specialist, Karen climbed hills and hiked through woods to help Dillon haul his equipment and get the experience he needed to become certified. Karen loved every minute of watching Dillon become the amazing young man he is today.

Karen lost Dennis on January 11, 2024. By that time, she was battling cancer, but she continued for as long as she could tending to her gardens and spending quiet time in her favorite glider watching the birds and squirrels. She will be so missed.