Karen Elaine Tillis' Obituary
KAREN ELAINE TILLIS
Sunrise: March 19, 1955, Tacoma, WA
Sunset: August 18, 2018, Tacoma, WA
Karen Elaine Tillis was born in Tacoma, Washington to Alexander and Eunice Tillis, the second of three children.
Karen graduated from Tacoma’s Stadium High School in 1973 and then earned an AA degree from Tacoma Community College. She worked for many years for the Washington State Board of Appeals (Seattle and Olympia) and retired from there. During her tenure, she was the only person to proof all of the legal documents that came through the office for the judges to sign. When her eyesight began to fail, she was accommodated with special equipment for her to continue doing her job.
Karen attended St. Paul Baptist Church and was the pianist for the Young Adult Choir for a number of years. Karen enjoyed many games, including bingo, pinochle and dominos. She was an avid bridge player and was a proud and loyal member of the American Bridge Association (ABA) for over 35 years, achieving the level of Silver Diamond. She held many positions within the ABA, including serving two terms as Sectional Vice President. She was awarded an ABA Life Membership in 2015, one of the organization’s highest honors. One of her most favorite pastimes was traveling to bridge tournaments. For many years she was an active member of the Ray Gibson Caballeros Club. Karen was a diehard Seattle Mariners fan, Ken Griffey, Jr. was her favorite player.
Karen is predeceased by her father Alexander Tillis and her two brothers, Rayford Giles, Sr. and Marc Tillis. Karen is survived by her mother Eunice Tillis and her nephew Rayford Giles, Jr. Her many friends from Tacoma and across the United States will greatly miss her presence.
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