Karen L. Brew

Karen Lee Brew of Parker died unexpectedly on November 24, 2013. Karen was born on September 8, 1954 in Chicago to Frank and Joyce Novak. The family later moved to Hollywood, FL, where Karen was a championship swimmer in junior high and high school, setting state records in the butterfly and freestyle and traveling to Ecuador to compete at the international level. Karen knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing, so as soon as she was old enough, she volunteered as a candy striper at a local hospital. The family moved to Boulder in 1972, and Karen enrolled in Mesa State College in Grand Junction, earning an associate's degree in nursing. She later earned a BSN degree from CU Denver and an MS degree in nursing from Regis University. Karen worked for many years as a labor and delivery nurse at Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. She then served as a nurse educator at PSL in Denver and a flight nurse for Air Life/Denver before finding her niche as a nursing teacher and mentor. Not only was Karen a great caregiver who always knew the best way to comfort someone in any situation, but she was also a devoted mother and doting grandmother. She met Ronald Brew when they both attended Mesa College, and they married on December 12, 1975 in Boulder. Their daughter Amber was born in 1978, followed by Justine in 1981. Karen is survived by her husband, Ron, of Parker; daughter Amber Burns (Allyn) and granddaughters Rylee, Lillian and Olivia Burns of Rochester, NY; daughter Justine Brew of Hollywood, CA; parents Frank Novak of Longmont and Joyce Novak of Broomfield; brother Tim Novak of Brooklyn, NY; and sister Lisa Boomershine (Tim) of Broomfield; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and in-laws. Karen also leaves behind two recently rescued dogs, Tess and Kinze. Funeral Service Monday, December 2, 2013, 1:00 PM, Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 E. County Line Rd., (one block west of Holly) Centennial. Memorials to The March of Dimes, Colorado Chapter, 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B-308, Denver, CO, 80222 or The Hospice of Western Colorado, 2754 Compass Dr., Grand Junction, CO 81506. Please share your memories of Karen and condolences with her family by signing the guestbook below.