Karen Lightfoot

Karen Lightfoot See you in the Sunlight! Karen Dolores Lightfoot gained her heavenly wings and left this earthly world August 22, 2023, to be with her Lord and Savior. We, her family and friends, honor her time with us, but send her to her heavenly home with love, laughter, and some tears. We seek to celebrate her: our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (Gigi), sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. Karen was born on June 25, 1946 in Mountaineer, New Mexico. Her family moved to Roswell, New Mexico where she made her home and raised her family. Karen studied at Eastern New Mexico University and earned a degree in nursing. She worked in the nursing field until her retirement.. Karen was preceded in death by her son, Jimmy Hargrove; grandson, Dallas Hargrove; parents, Leroy Gallagher and Opal Middleton Richardson; brothers, WD and Calvin Gallagher; and sisters, Doris Gallagher, Jean Gallagher, and Oneta Hargrove. She is survived by the love of her life, Bobby Hamby; her children, Teddy (Judy) Dennis, Gayland Hargrove, Patricia Marker, Becky Hamby, Kim Hamby and Michelle Niece; grandchildren, Dakotah (Sherrie) Hargrove, Brandy (Pedro Jimenez) Dennis, Carlee (Francisco) Bolivar, Jessica Wunsch, Sonja (Dillon) Gearin, Bobby (Bri) Marker, Cheyenne (Jesse) Dickison, Cameron (Ericka Lopez) Hamby, Destiny Hamby, Kristy Cross, Anna Ostrander, Jason Scifres, and Sara (Tristan) Thibeau; and great-grandchildren, Hennisy, Indica, Cezar, Ciroc, Harleigh, Hannah, Makoy, Laramie, Serenity, William, Anthony, Aubrey, Oliver, Ellie, Allison, Robert, Ava, Sky, Kai, Malcom, Edgar and Le’ lyanna. She is also survived by her brother, Gayland Hargrove; nephews, Jeff Hargrove, Stanley Jordan, Ross and Ronnie Allensworth, and Joel Crosthwait Ryan Hargrove, Aiden Rhodes, Seth Jordan, Michael Jordan; nieces, Gypsy Harrell and Cindy Fillmore; and her chosen children, Led Marker, Ski Cherinko, April Horton, Marcy Watson Kalli Hargrove, Cyerra Hargrove, and Dale Juarez; along with many other family and friends she loved dearly. Karen loved everyone and everything, from every item at a garage sale to the sprigs she cut from the plants of friends, family, (and probably strangers). She had a green thumb and could grow any plant with little more than her love for it. She had a soft spot in her heart for animals and was known to hide a stray cat in the laundry room until the cat grew and was discovered. She was firmly against any mistreatment of animals, including fish; as witnessed by her sons when she arrived home to discover they had broken the aquarium and had bowls of guppies all over the house. Karen was happiest when making memories with her family. She loved seeing Rodney Carrington and George Jones with her grandkids, setting up a tent in the backyard for the kids to sleep in, having sleepovers with all the grandkids at her house, riding in a golf cart with her granddaughters for hours, laughing the entire time (there may or may not have been a Coors Light involved). She loved talking to her granddaughter on the phone, listening to how her day went and telling about hers. She would stand up for anybody, even convincing someone to lend out their best fishing poles to you when you needed them. And when you lost those fishing poles, she was there to defend you and keep you out of trouble (possibly death). Her grandkids believed she knew everything because she listened to the scanner and knew they had been in trouble before they even got home. She was not fond of someone using windshield wipers too often and windshield wipers will bring her to the mind of many who love her. She wasn’t great with directions, although she would go anywhere you needed her to; yet not a person would tell her she was going the wrong way, walking around downtown Dallas trying to softly persuade her, it might be this way mom. She would lie awake pretending not to hear her grown kids hiding and giggling in the closet and sneaking to the refrigerator so not to wake her (all hours of the night). She sacrificed a lot for many and loved in the most selfless, unconditional way. Yet, she was a fierce woman, holding fast to her beliefs. She defended and cared for those she loved and spent most of her life thinking about and doing for others. She was also kind, generous, and compassionate. She loved her entire family, despite any dysfunction. She worried about them, protected them, forgave them, and always kept loving them. She loved only the lord more than her family. Her eyes glistened when she saw people she loved. She never made anyone feel like they didn’t belong, they did to her. She loved with her whole heart and gave way more than she got back. She told you she loved you even when she was mad at you and had your back even when you were wrong. She taught us to love others like Jesus did and showed kindness and understanding we often didn’t deserve. She never ran out of kisses (real or chocolate) and made the world’s best cobbler. She gave everything she had while she was on this earth and left a lifetime of traditions and memories for those she loved. Her love transformed the lives of everyone she encountered. She brought a bounty of beauty to everything she did. She had a remarkable ability to connect with people, share herself and evoke that same spirit of love in each person she knew. She was a facilitator, a giver, a voice of reason, loyal, supportive, determined, independent, successful, and an all-around amazing woman. She was one of a kind, and to be loved by her was to be truly blessed. To say her family and friends will miss her greatly is an understatement. We will forever love and miss her, but, she will live through us in our most tender and kind moments. “See you in the Sunlight!” The family welcomes flowers, but also asks friends and family to perform an unsolicited, random act of kindness in Karen’s honor. Please join family, friends, and loved ones in remembering and honoring the life of Karen Dolores Lightfoot, at Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home. A viewing will be held at Anderson Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory on Friday, September 01, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and services are scheduled for Saturday, September 02, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Anderson Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory. An interment at South Park Cemetery will follow services and a Celebration of Life will be held at Serenity Club, 1000 E. Bland, following the interment. The family has requested that in lieu of traditional, dark clothing, please wear her favorite color, yellow.

Karen Lightfoot

June 25, 1946 - August 22, 2023