Karen Ruth Woodward Akre was born April 20th, 1966, in Columbus, Georgia, and grew up in Lynnwood, Washington. She married Jeff Akre on July 27, 1985, and together raised their four children. Karen passed away peacefully on March 8th, 2023. She is preceded in death by her mother, Glenda. Karen is survived by her loving husband, Jeff, her four children/spouses, Johnathan (Patrice), Bryan (Shelby), Ashley (Josh) and Leah, her eight grandchildren - Christopher, Titus, Hailee, Isaiah, Braeden, Julianna, Lucas, Declan, Kalani. She is also survived by her parents, Ernest and Janet, and six siblings - Sonya, Ed, Melissa, Ben, Rebecca, and David.

Karen loved to laugh! Time with family and friends was the most important thing to her, and she made every holiday event as big as possible. She was a nurse, avid learner, devoted wife and mother, indulgent grandmother, and lifelong friend to many. She was tenacious and never gave up on anything worth fighting for. Her strong faith in God will have a lasting impact on everyone who knew her; she exuded positivity and had a ready smile.