Karen Darlene Cox is survived by her husband, Ronald; her sisters, Loretta Schauffler and Marilyn Callegari; her daughters, Jennifer Oberly, Jo Anne Bennett and Melinda Dickey; her grandchildren, Brandy and Drake Bennett, and Matthew, Ryan, and Alexa Oberly; and her great-grandchildren, Magnolia and Maple Bennett.
Karen passed away very suddenly this past May due to a cerebral hemorrhage. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and loved her.
Karen was born in El Cerrito and enjoyed socializing, school, reading, dancing, and swimming with her family as she grew up. She graduated from Harry Ells High School in 1964 and from San Francisco State University in 1969, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, with a minor in Cartography, and a multiple-subject teaching credential. In 1967 she married Ronald Cox, her highschool sweetheart, and began a family.
During her lifetime, Karen taught children from preschool through third grade. She was especially active with the Writer’s Workshop program and taught in both public and private Christian schools, helping many children unlock their potential. At Creekside Community Church, she served as the Director of Christian Education and worked with the church’s Vacation Bible School to provide the best experience for the children in fun and meaningful activities.
Karen was an incredible homemaker, providing love, guidance, and discipline while raising her children and later helping with her grandchildren. She loved cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, reading, skiing, Bible study, and memorizing passages from the Bible. She loved entertaining with pool parties in the summer, swimming day or night, playing music, and enjoying fresh fruit straight from the trees. In the winter, she enjoyed skiing in Lake Tahoe, watching her beloved Warriors games and scrapbooking memories from summer events and travels.
She worked for many years at Nordstrom to help her daughters with their college expenses. This became a wonderful season of reinvention for Karen, as she developed new skills and refreshed her wardrobe while entering her 50s. She became a blonde and carried herself with a newfound confidence that continued to grow throughout the rest of her life.
Karen’s love for life was evident to everyone who knew her. To continue doing the things she loved, she followed a regular exercise schedule that included stretching, weights, and cardiovascular exercise. This allowed her to enjoy ballet, hiking, water sports, snow skiing, and travel.
After retirement, Karen and Ronald were blessed to travel with friends and relatives to many beautiful places around the world. Their travels included France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Saint Petersburg in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, England, Scotland, Ireland, and much of the United States.
Karen loved life to the fullest and leaves behind a lasting legacy of faith, joy, service, and love. She took time to help so many of her friends and neighbors, and her kindness and example will continue to inspire all who knew her. Karen helped many of her friends and students develop a lifelong relationship with her Savior, Jesus Christ, and she is now spending eternity in the presence of God.
Please join us for a Celebration of Karen’s Life on October 10, 2026 at 2pm at Hillside Covenant Church, 2060 Magnolia Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94595. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations in Karen’s name to Restore House, a charity she felt strongly about supporting. All details are available at Hillside Covenant Church website.
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