Obituary of Karen Anne Donais

After a courageous and unwavering battle with cancer, Karen Anne Donais passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on December 31st, 2018. Cherished daughter of Alexander Donais and Margaret (Boucher) Donais and loving sister to Christina Lynne (Donais) and her husband Bob Curtis and Mark Steven Donais and his wife Amie (Eskra). Karen simply adored her nieces Angela, Rebecca, Emma and Sophie, and her nephew, Matthew. Karen was born in Toronto on August 2nd, 1963 and moved to London with family as a toddler. She attended St. Mark Separate School and A.B. Lucas Secondary School. She graduated from Fanshawe College as a Registered Laboratory Technologist and then became interested in research and worked as a Lab Assistant at the Robarts Research Institute here in London and in cancer research at The University of Virginia in Charlottesville. There, Karen was able to immerse herself in her love of nature and her favourite activities of hiking, white-water rafting and photography in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Karen also graduated as a Registered Nutrition Consultant and operated her own practice for several years. Always aware of the needy, she was a member of the Impact Church on Adelaide Street in London, where she became a pastor and a member of their Outreach Program. We are forever indebted to our daughter, Christina, husband Bob and family for their unceasing devoted care for Karen in their home in Ilderton in her final months where she was surrounded with family, friends and cuddling pets. Thank you to her co-workers at Loblaws for their generous and constant outpouring of love for Karen since her diagnosis and to all of the physicians who cared for Karen. A very special thank you for the compassionate and personal care from nurse practitioner Phil Daniels, and staff at LHIN, Lorna Coombs and nursing staff from Saint Elizabeth and the PSWs from VON. Visitation will be held on Friday from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London, where the memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, January 5th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m., with visitation one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, and at Karen’s request, those wishing to make donations are asked to consider World Vision Canada or the World Wildlife Fund.