Karen Louise Vazquez
May 11, 1963 – November 29, 2020
Rancho Cucamonga, California resident Karen Louise Vazquez passed away Sunday, November 29, 2020, at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California, after battling breast cancer on and off for the past 11 years.
Karen was born May 11, 1963, in Norwalk, California, to Leroy and Evelyn Behncke. She moved with her parents and older brother, Scott Behncke, to Montebello, California. She attended and graduated from Montebello High School in 1981. Karen graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Cal State, Los Angeles, in 1987. She worked as an accountant/bookkeeper for many professional and industrial firms in Southern California and enjoyed doing so for decades.
She married Rob Vazquez in May 1992, whom she met at work in May 1989, and the two of them continued to work together for 14 years. They lived together in West Covina for 3 years, Montclair for 5 years, and settled in Rancho Cucamonga for the last 23 years. Karen was a sweet, caring, and mentoring mother, wife, and friend. She taught her children, Kaley and Melissa, and everyone how to treat each other with respect and show kindness and forgiveness. Karen was involved in her daughters’ education, from elementary school projects that required coloring to be middle and high school band activities, fundraisers, and participated in charities to help fight cancer.
Karen loved the sunshine on her face and loved to see snow on the mountains. When the weather was nice, she loved to go on hikes, walks, mountain bike, go to the movies, or the beach. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, baking, and a good book to read at night in her leisure time at home. She always loved a good glass of wine, the company of friends, singing (David Bowie, Prince, and Queen were some of her favorites), and a laugh or two. She was known for her gift of conversation, creativity, sense of humor, and generous care for others by her family, coworkers, and friends. Karen was always ready to help because she was still prepared. One of her mottos was, “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” She touched so many lives and was a mother, mentor, and friend to all that knew her.
Towards the end of her journey, Karen had expressed that she understood that life does eventually come to an end and believed that life's quality was more important than the quantity. Karen lived a full fun-filled life as a loving devoted wife and an amazing mother. The dearest thing to her heart was her family, and she taught us how important family is and showed us how to love and be loved. She will always be our ray of sunshine, and we will miss laughing with her, hugging her, hearing her voice, and talking every day. Although she is gone from this earth, she will live inside of us with the love she shared, and for that, we are grateful. Karen will live on in our thoughts and fondest memories, both good and bad. She was a fighter till the end, and everyone who knew her could see this. She will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.
She is survived by her supportive husband Rob, her amazing two daughters Kaley and Melissa, her wonderful mother Evelyn, and her caring brother Scott.
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