Karen Marian

Osborn

Karen M. Osborn (formerly Day), 65, of Portage, Michigan, passed away on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, under hospice care at Rose Arbor Place in Kalamazoo following a short battle with cancer. Her two sons were by her side.

Karen was born in Kalamazoo on June 9, 1961, the daughter of Marian (Dixon) Day and Larry Day. She graduated from Comstock High School in 1979 and went on to attend Parsons Business School in Kalamazoo.

Karen devoted herself to raising her sons, staying home with them for many years while also running a small in-home daycare for friends and neighbors. She later worked for 13 years at Grand Valley Co-op Credit Union in Portage, followed by 18 years in the accounting and finance department at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, retiring at the end of June 2026.

Family was at the heart of everything Karen did, and her grandchildren were her greatest joy. She loved to laugh, travel, read, and take walks along Silver Beach. After retiring, she moved from Stevensville, where she had lived for many years, back to Portage, the place that always felt like home.

Karen was the proud and loving mother of Chad Pook (Rebecca) of Needham, Massachusetts, and Ryan Pook (Tara) of Portage, and a devoted grandmother to Julian, Nathaniel, and Emery. She is also survived by her mother, Marian Day; her brothers, Gary (Josette) Day and David Day; and five nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Larry Day; her grandparents, Harold and Mildred Day and Lloyd and Laura Dixon; and her sister-in-law, Joanna Day.

Karen will be laid to rest at Mount Ever Rest Memorial Park in Kalamazoo during a private service. Family and friends are invited to join a luncheon and time to reminisce on November 14 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at HopCat in Kalamazoo.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Karen's honor to the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation (gallbladdercancer.org).

While visiting Karen’s webpage at www.amsfuneralhomes.com please sign the guestbook and/or share a memory with the family.

The family is being assisted by the Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Homes and Cremation Society, 5975 Lovers Lane in Portage, MI 49002, (269 344-5600).