Kara Lynn Kerksick

Kara Lynn Kerksick, 42, of Olympia, Washington, passed away on Tuesday, 16 July 2013. Kara was born on 13 July 1971 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to parents Karen and Ken. She graduated from Capital High School, Olympia, Washington, in 1989 and continued her education at Evergreen State College where she received her undergraduate degree in Geographic Information Systems and Earth Sciences in 1996. Since 2000, Kara worked for the Department of Natural Resources as a Geographic Information System (GIS) Analyst. Kara is preceded in death by her father, Kenneth J. Kerksick; and, grandfather, (Grampy) Alfred F. “Franklin” Ward. She is survived by her daughter, Kendra; grandmother (Grammy), Jeannette Ward; mother, Karen; stepfather, Jim; stepmother, Juanita; brother, Kris; stepsister, Melissa; partner, David; and many other loving and special family members. She particularly had a special and unique relationship with her nephew, Austin (who never failed to provoke the boisterous Kara Lynn “scream” out of her). Kara had a love for the Pacific Northwest and was an advocate for the preservation of our natural resources. To honor Kara’s spirit and dedication to nature, the family will be conducting a private service at a later date at the White Eagle Nature Preserve Cemetery. This is a place that the family feels embodies Kara’s vision about the wild and follows part of the Preserve’s vision where “Our bodies do not belong to us, they belong to Nature. They are a natural resource and when we die, we believe they should be gifted back to assimilate with Nature to further the cycles of life.” The family encourages all to visit their website for more information: http://www.naturalburialground.com/. Her spirit will be forever within our hearts…and as Kara would say, “ROCK ON”! A celebration of Kara’s life will be held on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at the Olympia Friends Meeting Hall located at 3201 Boston Harbor Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506 beginning at 4:00 p.m. The family encourages those coming to bring pictures, stories, and mementoes to share with all. A small dish for the celebration is encouraged to bring to share with others – this will be an alcohol free event. At 6:30 p.m. the family will conduct a walking procession to the water – if you have drums or other musical instruments, you are encouraged to bring them – followed by a short ceremony. All are invited to attend. A memorial Face Book Page has been established on Kara’s behalf and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kara-Lynn-Kerksick-Memorial/193512600816642 In lieu of flowers, friends and family can contribute to a fund for Kara’s 8-year-old daughter, Kendra at: Evergreen Direct Credit Union, ATTN: Kendra Kerksick Account, P.O. BOX 408, Olympia, WA 98512 Memories of Kara, may also be left in the Guestbook below.