Karen Clare Sands

It is with heartfelt sadness that we mourn the passing of Karen Clare Sands.  Karen was a beloved wife of 57 years, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend, who passed away unexpectedly on May 18, 2024 at the age of 76. She lived a life devoted to God, her family, and her friends. Karen was a dedicated member of Cottonwood Presbyterian Church for 44 years.  She will be remembered for her sweet smile, her laughter, and her tender heart.   Karen enjoyed spending time with her family and spent the last few moments of her life surrounded by loved ones. 

Karen was born on November 19, 1947 in Butte, Montana to Delores and Leslie Waddell. She was the oldest of seven girls (Linda, Laura, Donna, Paula, April, and Debbie) and she had two older brothers (Bob and Pat).  She looked after her baby sisters with intense love and devotion. She attended Butte High School and met the love of her life, Stephen C. Sands.  The couple married on December 30, 1966, and had two children, Jacqueline C. and Stephen C. Sands II. The couple moved across the United States living in Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and finally settled in Salt Lake City where they have lived for the past 45 years.  They made many lifelong friends along the way.  Karen was a loving and supportive wife who nurtured and cared for her family and friends.

She celebrated life with all those she knew, and was so proud of her family, especially her six grandchildren.  Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and she enjoyed spending time with each of them. She went to sporting events, dance recitals, baked cookies with them, and made holidays extra special for all of them.   She was their most ardent and loving supporter.  They will forever treasure these special memories of Grandma. Karen was also blessed with two great-granddaughters and was excited to celebrate the upcoming birth of her first great-grandson.

Karen was also a dedicated employee who worked at Matt’s Drive-in through high school, and at UPS in customer service for seventeen years.   She retired from UPS in 1992.  She enjoyed her retirement years with her husband Steve traveling across the country and made a once in a life-time trip to Ireland and Scotland.  They also enjoyed traveling to see family and the many friends they had across the county.   Karen later worked a part-time job as a crossing guard for Murray City.  The kids enjoyed seeing Karen’s happy face and she loved to walk her “kids” safely across the street each and every day.  

She was also actively involved in church work at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church.  She was a Sunday school teacher for many years and served as a deacon.  Karen was also actively involved in the Presbyterian Women’s Association. She served as President of the PW for several years.   Karen also sold vegetables for the last fifteen years from the Church Garden to raise money for the Utah Food Bank and other local charities.  She enjoyed her church work and loved helping others.  

Karen is survived by her loving husband, Stephen C. Sands of 57 years; her daughter Jacqueline Alhamra (husband Rami); her son Stephen C. Sands II (wife Annette); six grandchildren Anastasia Barber (husband Zachery), Zachary Alhamra, Madeline Alhamra, Alexander Sands (wife Katie), Amanda Peterson (husband Taylor), and Nikolaus Sands; two great-granddaughters, Taytum and Halle Barber, and soon to be born great-grandson Daniel Peterson; five sisters, and one brother.  She was preceded in death by her Grandmother Mabel who had a special place in heart, her parents, one sister (Donna) and one brother (Bob).

A viewing will be held from 6-8 pm on Friday, May 24, 2024, at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church, located at 1580 East Vine St, Murray, Utah.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am with a viewing one-hour prior from 10:00 – 10:45 AM on Saturday, May 25, 2024, also at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church.  A luncheon will be served at the church immediately following. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Memorial Mountain View Cemetery, located at 3115 E Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in her name to Cottonwood Presbyterian Church.