Karen Ruth Diaz came into this world as a curly brown haired girl June 9, 1948, a daughter of Gene and Gerry Clark.

She was the middle sister to big sister Connie and little brother Rick.

She attended St. Anthony schools and graduated from Ricks College in 1966 and then went on to ISU.



As a young woman, Karen found fun and freedom working summers in West Yellowstone at the grocery store and A&W.



Karen also worked as a teachers aid and took great pride working in the resource room with specials needs children.

Karen retired from a long career as a secretary at the Department of Juvenile Corrections in St. Anthony.

Karen was an avid and voracious reader. She said "you are never alone in the company of a good book." She passed down her love of reading and books to her children.

She loved watching HGTV , antiques roadshow, & Jeopardy.

She loved scratch lottery tickets! You could always find Karen on her lottery ticket circuit at Dusty's, Ray's, or the Maverick.

Karen loved going on drives and to Fort Hall with her husband , Francisco.

Karen's greatest accomplishment were her children , Jeni, Jeremy and Francine. But she wasn't just their mother, she was a mother to all their friends or to anyone who needed a safe place to land. Her home was always open and there you would find endless amounts of unconditional love and acceptance. She taught us all what it means to be a good friend.

Karen lived an unapologetic life. She knew who she was, stood up for what she believed in, took responsibility for her mistakes, and always spoke her mind.

Karen died July 25, 2015 after a courageous battle with cancer.

She would not want to be remembered as being sick, but for the smart, witty, sassy, spunky, tell you how she sees it, kind of woman that she was.

Karen was one of the great ones. She leaves a big hole in our hearts and in our community and she will be dearly missed.

She is survived by her husband Francisco of St. Anthony, ID; children, Jeni (Jared) Blamires of Boise, ID; Jeremy Diaz of St. Anthony, ID; and Francine (Marshall Meade) Diaz of Kuna, ID; her mother, Gerry Clark of St. Anthony, ID; a sister Connie (Fred) Engbretson of Bozeman, MT; a brother, Rick (Terry) Clark of Idaho Falls, ID; and 5 grandchildren, Jordyn and Payton Diaz; Maya and Jack Blamires, and Otis Meade.

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 31, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the St. Anthony 4th Ward Chapel. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Bert Flamm Mortuary and on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in the Wilford Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.flammfh.com.