Obituary

Karen S. Yoast, age 66 of Goodyear, AZ died April 3, 2019, in Goodyear, AZ, after a 3-year struggle with ALS. She was born December 19, 1952, in Rock Springs, Wyoming, the youngest of four children born to Aaron and Ione Deneley. Outgoing and friendly, it was impossible to be around Karen without becoming her friend. She had a wicked sense of humor and she loved to keep everyone in stitches. She grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and later moved to Orem, UT where she lived for 35 years. A hard-working woman, she worked for the Utah Department of Transportation for 30 years, starting out driving a snow plow and working on paint crews, and later as office manager and contract administrator on large construction projects. Her excellent work habit earned her the honor of the Utah Department of Transportation Employee of the Year in 2017. She left many good friends in the department when she moved to AZ to be with her sister.

Karen could do anything! From baking to fixing plumbing problems, there were no limits to her expertise. She loved to cross stitch, do needlework, write poetry, work crossword and sudoku puzzles, and read. She adored her parrot, Graham and beagle, Gillette and watching animals in the wild.

Karen is survived by her son, Justin Yoast and daughter-in-law Jacquelyn of North Myrtle Beach, SC; sister, Diane Burns and brother-in-law, retired Brig. Gen. Pat Burns; and three grandchildren, Dallas, Garrison, and Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents, Aaron and Ione Deneley.