Karen Hesford

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved Karen Kelley Hesford, who departed this world on July 31, 2023, following a five-year battle with kidney failure. We are thankful that she was able to peacefully pass away in her home, surrounded by family. She was born on January 26, 1948, in Eugene, Oregon, to Richard Malone and E. Ursula (Bartely) Kelley. She graduated from Borah, High School in Boise, Idaho. Following a divorce, she dedicated her life to raising her only son, Bill, which was her greatest achievement. They later moved to West Valley City (Granger), Utah. There she met and married the love of her life, Thomas Hesford in 1982. Karen and Tom loved to travel, especially the cruises to the Caribbean Islands.
Karen was a beacon of kindness and generosity. She was short and quiet, yet determined and strong. Karen was a woman of many talents. She was passionate about her hobbies, which included painting, cross-stitching, crocheting, refinishing furniture, and playing guitar and French horn. Her love for crafting extended to building doll houses, for which she won awards at the Utah State Fairs.
She was an exceptional office manager in the life insurance industry. Karen was an extraordinary typist, boasting a speed of 121 words per minute.
In her younger years, she enjoyed camping and riding trail motor bikes with her family. She shared her love of nature by camping with her grandchildren. What mattered most to Karen was her family. She loved having her grandkids over for sleepovers and pancakes. She loved to have the family over for dinner and games. She continued to play family games into the last few months of her life. She was a brilliant card shark. Her grandkids and great-grandkids brought the biggest smiles to her face.
Special thanks to her husband, son, and grandson for the loving care they provided. We also thank the dialysis and homecare teams.
She is survived by her son Bill (RonnaLee) Hesford; grandchildren Elise (Aaron) Pratt, and Brent (Emily) Hesford; and great-grandchildren Damian Martinez, Grace Kelley Martinez, Emma Hesford, and Ephraim Hesford; all of Tooele, Utah. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 4:30 pm to 5:45 pm at Tate Mortuary, 110 South Main Street, Tooele, Utah, 84074. The funeral service will follow at the same venue at 6:00 pm. Graveside services will take place on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 11:00 am at Cloverdale Funeral Cemetery, 1200 North Cloverdale Road, Boise, Idaho, 83713.

In celebration of Karen's life, we invite family and friends to share their memories and upload photos to the memorial page at tatemortuary.com. Let us remember her for the compassionate, talented, and courageous woman she was.