Help Us Bring Karen Home ❤️
It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend, Karen Smith, on August 31, 2026.
Karen’s passing came as a shock to all of us, and we are now working to make arrangements that honor her life and her wishes. We are creating this fundraiser to help with the expenses of her cremation, urn, and returning her home to Australia, a place she loved and where she had hoped to spend the later years of her life.
Karen was a true spitfire. She had a life that wasn’t always easy and faced more than her share of hardships, but she always did her best to keep going and make the most of the life she was given. She had a way of finding something to laugh about, even when things were difficult. And if there was a bingo game around, you could bet Karen was ready to play! She was one of a kind, and her strength, and personality will stay with us and be missed more than words can express.
Karen is survived by her 98-year-old mother, who resides in Laguna Beach, California; her brothers, Robert Hart Jr., and Joseph Hart.
Son, Christopher Smith, his wife Dawn, and their four children
Son, Jeremy Andeway, his wife Leanne, and their three children,
Daughter, Cheyenne Brooks and her three children
Our hope is to give Karen the farewell she deserves and ultimately bring her back to Australia, where she dreamed of living out her life.
If you would like to be part of helping us make that possible, any contribution is deeply appreciated. And if donating isn’t possible, simply sharing Karen’s story and this fundraiser means just as much to our family.
Thank you for the love, kindness, prayers, and support you’ve shown our family during this unexpected and difficult time. We are incredibly grateful.
Until we meet again, Karen. ❤️
You will be forever loved and deeply missed.
