Karen Jean Smith

Karen Tresko Smith passed away October 15th at home. Born Karen Jean Tresko October 28th 1947 in Portland OR she was the first of seven children to parents Donald and Dorothy. In 1953 the family moved to Spokane WA. Karen attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic grade school, graduated from Marycliff all girls Catholic high school in 1965 and attended Kinman Business University and Spokane Community College. In 1968 she married John Peterson in Virginia. In 1969 was blessed with her daughter Rebecca Lynn and eventually returned to Spokane. In 1982 she moved to Hillsboro, OR. In 1994 she married Clay Smith and lived happily in The Dalles for 25 years. In 2020 she returned to Spokane. Most of her career was spent as a bank teller.

Karen had a zest for life and loved staying busy. She worked at Camp Chevrolet in the 1970’s and earned extra money with her professional belly dance group, sold Sarah Coventry jewelry and also Beeline Fashions. In the 1980’s she operated her own business Fireside Marble in Beaverton OR aided by the Spokane family business Tresko Monument. As years went by she enjoyed several activities: volunteering at various Catholic Churches she attended, camping, traveling, gardening, cooking, Nascar, sewing, arts and crafts, crocheting, Toast Masters, volunteering for the Wasco County Republican Party just to name a few.

Karen is survived by daughter Becky (Patrick) Callahan, brothers Bill, Dick and John (Sheri) Tresko, sisters Gwen (Steve) Maguire, Sheryl (Jim) Lumper and Maryann Tresko, grandchildren Melody, David and Theresa Kurth, and several cousins and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Don and Dorothy, and by her husband Clay.

Mass will be held for her Friday October 29th 1:30pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. Memorial Service is 10:30am Saturday the 30th at Hennessy Funeral Home on Division. Graveside burial at noon same day at Holy Cross Cemetery.

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