Karen Ann Tabish

The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” – Lao Tzu

MISSOULA – Our beloved Karen Ann Tabish – wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend – left us way too soon on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, at the age of 63. She passed peacefully at home in the presence of her family after bravely enduring a brief, but courageous fight with cancer while under the loving care of her husband, Allan.

Karen Ann Brodie was born May 14, 1953, to Stephen and Marilyn Brodie in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She was the second born of five children. Her family moved to Missoula where she attended public school and eventually graduated from Sentinel High School in 1971. She also went on to attend the University of Montana.

On Sept. 28, 1974, she married her high school sweetheart, Allan Tabish. They welcomed a daughter, Stephanie, and later a son, Kyle. It was after the birth of her children that Karen made the difficult decision to leave a career she loved to selflessly devote her life to raising her children and growing the business she and her husband started in the 1980s, which would later become Tabish Siding, Inc.

Karen was an incredible woman in all ways imaginable. Whether you knew her as an acquaintance or were a close member of her family, you fell in love with her instantly. She was a classy woman who never left home with a hair out of place or without a perfectly coordinated wardrobe. She was a hardworking, loving, selfless, generous, and kind soul who willfully gave all of herself to others. She loved to shop, cook, tend to her beautiful flower gardens and spend time at Flathead Lake. She also loved to celebrate. She decorated and made every holiday special, but Christmas was her favorite. Each year she would spend weeks shopping, decorating and cooking just to make it a perfect time for her family to gather and make memories.

It is no secret that Karen felt her family was her greatest accomplishment. She raised her children with immeasurable amounts of love, patience, and support. She was always there when we needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to be excited for us. She always made sure we had anything and everything we could have possibly needed and would have been there in a heartbeat, if asked. She was strong, even when we couldn’t be. She was the perfect wife, mother and grandmother. She was our rock and will always be our guardian angel.

Even though her life was cut far too short, we are so lucky to have had such a bright shining light in our lives. We will never forget the memories of her elaborate parties, holiday celebrations, family vacations, watching her be so tender and sweet while playing with her grandchildren, and the memories of time spent with her at the cabin. We will forever miss her worried phone calls when we travel, her amazing ability to cook, her celebratory whistle when you told her good news, her support, her advice, her wisdom and her unconditional love. She was a true inspirational example to all who knew her. She has taught us how to live life with purpose and meaning because at the end of the day, all you leave behind is the way that you love. She leaves us all with a vast hole in our hearts, for the love that she gave is irreplaceable.

Karen was preceded in death by her father Stephen and mother Marilyn, as well as many aunts and uncles. Survivors include her husband, Allan of Missoula; her daughter, Stephanie (Dan) Robles of Helena; her son, Kyle Tabish of Spokane, Washington; her grandchildren, Payton and Carter Robles of Helena; her sisters, Kim (Todd) Damrow of Helena and Kane (Wes) Hines of Kalispell; her brothers, Jan (Ellen) Brodie of Missoula and Jeff (Michelle) Brodie of Silverdale, Washington; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral will be at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30. A reception and celebration will follow immediately after at The Barn at the Ranch Club. The family would like to give a special thank you to Partners Hospice of Missoula, Dr. Sarah Scott, and Dr. Mae Bixby. Garden City Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Karen’s name may be made to Partners in Home Care Hospice at 2687 Palmer Street, Suite B, Missoula, MT 59808, or a charity of your choice.