Karen Jean Rush Whiting, 79 years old, of Jacksonville, FL, died from Dementia on February 1, 2019. She was born in Albion, NY on February 23, 1938 to Lavern and Elsie Rush; she was the 4th of their 6 children. Karen was raised in Albion with her parents on the Rush Farm with cows, chickens, hunting dogs, and lots of vegetable fields (Best Corn on the Cobb in the state).
She graduated from Albion High School and played clarinet in the band. Karen married her high school sweetheart, Kenneth L. Whiting, who was also in the band playing the trombone. Karen had 2 children: Sandra Jean Whiting Betts and Dale Kenneth Whiting.
She started working only after her children started school. She worked as a retail clerk and worked her way up to a store manager working at Zayre, Pick n Save, Montgomery Wards, and Burlington when she retired at the age of 73. Karen was not in the military but she fully supported her husband in the military for 20 years.
Due to the military, she lived in Jacksonville, FL; Bermuda; Milton, FL; Shelton, CT; North Kingston, RI; and back to Jacksonville, FL. Karen loved to sew. She sewed most of her daughters clothes growing up, from school girl dresses to very 60’s bell bottom hip hugger pants.
Later in life she started quilting and made the most beautiful quilts for all of her children and grandchildren. She also loved to travel and managed to visit the US west coast, Blue Ridge mountains, Alaska, and Canada. She enjoyed the beach, fishing, walking, church, and mostly spending time with her grandchildren.
Karen’s greatest heart break was the split up of her and her husband Ken of whom she became friends with again just before his passing at a very early age of 42. She never stopped loving him and never re-married. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra “Sandy” Jean Betts (Laurence I. Betts, Jr.) of Lawrenceville, GA; and her son, Dale K. Whiting (Christine Whiting) of Conyers, GA; 5 grandchildren: Brianna Betts of Jasper, GA, Kyle Betts of Lawrenceville, GA, Cayce Quinn (Travis), Molly Higgins (Johnathan), and Aubree Hardin (Brandon) all of Kentucky; a great-grandson, Joseph; and 4 siblings: Kenneth Rush and Roger Rush of Albion, NY, Shirley Maddock of Rochester, NY, and Donna Orbison of Waynesville, NC.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 8, 2019 in the chapel of Jacksonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home, 111 Blanding Blvd, Orange Park, FL. Dr. Tim McDaniel will officiate. The family will receive friends from 10:00 Am until the hour of service.
Interment will follow in Fountain of Life Garden in Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery. Karen was a loving, strong and independent mother and grandmother. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
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