Karen Andrews

Karen Ann Andrews, 53, of Westminster, passed away on Friday, June 28 th , 2019 at her home in Westminster, Colorado. A memorial service will be held at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, July 20 th , at the Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32 nd Avenue, Golden, CO. Karen was born on September 19 th , 1966 in Denver, Colorado. Nine days later she was adopted by James Warren and Nancy Jean (Bailey) Andrews. Karen was a creative youth who excelled in art and drama. She graduated in 1985 from Golden High School in Golden, CO, followed by a year studying art at the Scuola Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy. She went on to receive her B.A. degree in 1991, from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1992, she returned to Italy for another summer, studying art at the estate of La Cipressia in Montagnana, Italy. Karen characterized these experiences, especially her time at St. John’s, as transformative and inspiring, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of intellectual and spiritual transformation. With a zeal for knowledge and education, Karen went on to get a Masters of Fine Arts/Visual Arts degree from the University of Denver in 2008, and a Master’s in Library Science online degree in 2014, from Texas Women’s College in Denton, TX. Karen married Andrew Alan Sheldon in Denver, CO in 1994. They lived for years in a charming house on Lincoln Avenue in Denver, CO, raising two children, Audrey and Graham. There, Karen developed a number of strong relationships in the community, especially with families whose children attended Lincoln Elementary Montessori School in Denver with Audrey and Graham. Indeed, many of those relationships have remained strong over the years. In 2010, the family moved to Westminster. For Karen, besides being an artist at her very core, she also worked as a librarian. Karen first worked at the University of Denver library, then later at the Smoky Hill Public library, and most recently at the Lafayette Public Library where she became Manager of Program Outreach. Library work was extremely important to Karen, being a venue where she cultivated meaningful relationships with fellow employees and developed impactful programs for the general public. Karen had a fun-loving exuberance for life, which could delightfully bubble out of control at times, bringing joy to all those around her. Her sense of purpose, compassion, and unwavering hope in the face of life’s many challenges is nothing short of inspirational. She will be dearly missed by friends and family. Karen is survived by her parents Warren and Nancy Andrews of Golden, her brother Bradford Andrews of Tacoma, her husband Andy Sheldon, and two beloved children, Audrey and Graham Sheldon.

In memory of Karen, donations may be made to the following organizations:

• Dress for Success – Providing at-risk women with job readiness tools, professional attire and post-employment support to assist them in their efforts to achieve economic self-sufficiency. https://denver.dressforsuccess.org/get-involved/donate/

• American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate.html

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