Karen Marie Janoch passed peacefully in the early morning hours of December 11, 2021 at the age of 71 in the comfort of her home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Jensen Beach, Florida after a long battle with stage-4 colon cancer.
A memorial will be held on Saturday, May 21st at Hitzeman Funeral Home. Ltd., 9445 West 31st Street, in Brookfield, IL 60513. A service in her honor will begin at 11:00 AM, with visitation starting at 9:00 AM.
Karen was born on May 24th, 1950 to her parents John and Delores Benedeck. She grew up in LaGrange Park, IL as an only child, playing in the nearby forest preserve with her friends and her dog, Poncho. Her love for horses began in her early years of riding at Brown's Lake while vacationing with her family. She went on to competitively jump horses in her youth.
As a teenager, she met the love of her life, Joseph, while waiting in line with her best friend Mary at the McDonald's in Countryside. After attending Eureka College for her Bachelor's degree in teaching, she and her high school sweetheart were married in December of 1974. She went on to earn her Master's degree at Northern Illinois University. A few years later, they welcomed their baby girl, Tanya. After some years of teaching remedial reading to high school students, she dedicated her days to being a full-time mom.
Karen accepted Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Savior in 1988 and her love for Him grew through the rest of her life. She loved to travel with her family and spent much time on the beaches of Jamaica and Florida, as well as hiking through the mountains in many of our National Parks.
Her genuine kindness and contagious joy will be missed by many. She leaves behind her husband, Joseph; daughter, Tanya; sister-in-law Barbara; nephew, Robert (& Beth); great-nephew Owen; and niece Rebecca (& John).
In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to Doctors Without Borders , P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or World Vision , 5001 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60644.
Interment Private.
Information 708-485-2000 or www.HitzemanFuneral.com