Karen Ann Metz passed away Wednesday, Oct. 9 in Tallahassee, Florida where she lived for the last two years with her husband Les Suderman. Karen was born on April 27, 1943.
Karen and Les lived in Idyllwild from summer 2012 to 2016. They bought their cabin in 2003 but moved here permanently after Karen retired from her work at the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at UCLA. She loved her job there as chief of operations, grant administration and fundraising.
Karen continued this work on a part-time basis in Idyllwild working with Tom Unwin on grants for RhizoSystems Implementation and Idyllwild Center for Spiritual Living. She worked at Idyllwild Arts Academy from January 2013 to March 2014 as the summer alumni relations manager.
She was deeply involved with the community as a volunteer for Jazz in the Pines, Idyllwild Art Alliance and the Idyllwild Nature Center where she enjoyed conducting nature talks for visitors.
Karen and her husband moved to Tallahassee, Florida in 2017 to be near his relatives. Even there, Karen volunteered to do historic talks at the local St. Marks Lighthouse and surrounding areas.
Her struggle with cancer started with a simple infection in a sinus cavity that was diagnosed as cancerous. Karen fought off cancer with surgery, radiation and trial medications, but it eventually took her life.
She is loved and missed by her husband, Les Suderman, her son, Justin Hunsaker, her twin sister, Sharen and her half-brother, Dick Metz.
Friends and associates are invited to a “wine and memories” open house at her sister’s cabin Sunday, Dec. 8 from 4-6pm. Contact: Sharen Metz at 562-252-6306 or sharenmetz@gmail.com.