Karen Mize Gill

Karen Mize Gill

March 27, 1976–July 19, 2026

Karen Mize Gill—spirited, creative, generous, joyful, and deeply devoted to the people she loved—passed away peacefully on July 19, 2026, surrounded by family. She was 50. In the last nearly eight years of living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, Karen met every chapter with extraordinary courage, humor, knowledge, and a positivity that never wavered. She had a way of tempering any situation with her signature declaration of “It’s fine,” and remained determined to keep living fully, making plans, and creating joy.

Born March 27, 1976, to Patricia and Leslie Mize, Karen was raised in Marin County as the third of six children. She graduated from Marin Catholic High School and Dominican University of California, where she served as student body president. She later earned her teaching and administrative credentials and a master’s degree, logging many years as a student before dedicating nearly a quarter century to her chosen vocation: education.

Raised in Marinwood, Karen later met and married Jeremiah, and together they made their home in Benicia, where they raised their two beautiful daughters, Delaney and Quinlan. As she did everywhere, Karen put down roots that grew deep and spread far. She immersed herself in the lives of her girls and embraced the small-town traditions she cherished—school events, parades, tree lightings, and every opportunity to gather, celebrate, and create lasting memories.

Karen was a teacher in every sense of the word. Known in her classrooms for creativity, care, practical wisdom, Karen had a true gift for making learning memorable. She was quick to help a colleague, mentor a new teacher, share an idea, or organize the details that helped people feel included. Her students adored her; messages and drawings from them were displayed at her wedding to Jeremiah.

Care was woven into Karen’s very name and into the way she lived. In her short years, she was a babysitter, teacher, lifeguard, EMT, mother, and natural caregiver. Her instinct was always to nurture, protect, encourage, and help others feel safe and capable. She had a generous spirit and believed that few situations could not be improved by a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies—whether to soften hard news, encourage a favorable decision, or thank her care team at Kaiser.

Karen brought creativity and joy to everything she did. She was a master party planner who loved a theme, a craft, a thoughtful gift, and, of course, the perfect T-shirt graphic. Her home was a place of welcome, filled with warmth, Disney art, and the kind of hospitality that made every guest feel like there was room for one more.

Lake Tahoe, and especially Chambers Landing, was another great love of Karen’s life, an affinity she undeniably shared with her mom. She grew up there, worked there, married there, raised her daughters there, and served the community she cherished. Her first summer job was selling Chambers T-shirts on the pier—an early sign of a lifelong love of merch, especially a good hoodie. She later served as a lifeguard, swim teacher, creator of what became the Chambers Landing Kids Club, and member of the Chamberlands Beach & Mountain Club Board of Directors, following in her father’s footsteps. Many people remembered and thanked her for teaching them to swim or creating special memories for their families.

Karen’s love of holiday traditions began with her family’s Mickey Mouse Christmas House. Jeremiah happily joined her in collecting, but Karen was the decorating mastermind. She created magical Christmas and Halloween displays which grew over the years. It has been known to snow in her Benicia backyard at Christmas, and in October she transformed their front yard into Whispering Bones—a skeleton campsite, complete with a fire pit, marshmallow roasting, Lucky Bones Lagoon, and petting zoo.

Karen was happiest gathering people and making memories. She loved Disney adventures, local craft fairs, wine walks, artisan festivals, and supporting small businesses. She was an enthusiastic walker and hiker, completing marathons, trail relays, and virtual routes, including an unforgettable journey through the Swiss Alps and past the real Matterhorn. She loved Benicia’s hills, Tahoe’s trails, Marin’s Mt. Tam, dogs, her garden, her dahlias, and the feeling of sun on her face.

Above all, Karen was devoted to her family. She was the ultimate cheerleader for her daughters, Delaney and Quinlan, and showed up fully for her mom, siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends. Whether it was a game, a recital, a show, or a milestone, she arrived with flowers, pom-poms, team colors, and whatever coordinated bag or accessory the occasion required. She was never halfway in; Karen was always all in.

For almost eight years, Karen lived with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. As she preferred to say, she was not battling cancer—she was thriving with it and living with it. Through her Facebook group, Hakuna Ma Tatas, she shared the hopes, lessons, and realities of her experience with family, friends, and countless others who found guidance in her openness. She educated herself tirelessly, advocated for her own care, and encouraged others to become active members of their own care teams. Her courage, knowledge, humor, and positivity helped many people navigating journeys of their own.

Karen is predeceased by her father, Leslie Mize. She is survived by her husband, Jeremiah; her daughters, Delaney and Quinlan; her mother, Patricia Mize; her siblings, Eileen Mize, John Mize, Megan Albright, Scott Mize, and Ryan Mize; and many beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, colleagues, and members of her Tahoe and Benicia communities.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Isabella Church, 1 Trinity Way, San Rafael, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in Karen’s memory may be made to the League to Save Lake Tahoe or The Hamann Foundation.

Karen leaves a legacy of resilience, generosity, joy, creativity, and love. She made people feel welcomed, included, celebrated, and deeply cared for—and she will be missed beyond measure.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karen Mize Gill, please visit our floral store.