KAREN THERESA MCVICKER

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KAREN THERESA MCVICKER May 17, 1967 - November 8, 2015 It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Karen McVicker, peacefully at home, surrounded by her family. Left to cherish her memory is her loving daughter, Séanin Van Rooy, along with Karen's husband, Curtis Rasmussen. Her father, Charles (Eva); brothers, Joseph and Gregory, and sister, Angela Timchuk (Kurtis). Mother-in-law, Lee Rasmussen, father-in-law, William Van Rooy, and sisters-in-law, Cyndee, and Alison (Gordon). Nieces and nephews; Finnula, Seán, Nicola, Michelle, Kevin, Caitlin, Kieran, Sarah, Ciarán, Sam, Eastyn, and Ember, and great nephew, Dayan. She will be missed by her Aunt Maureen, cousins Malcolm (Bonnie), Treasaigh (Ken), and family circles worldwide. Karen was predeceased by her beloved mother, Catherine McVicker (nee Devlin). Karen was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The eldest of four children, Karen was a quiet, studious child and could often be found with her nose in a book. Her passion for learning and literature paved her way to becoming a talented artist and writer. Her love of science fiction was born in her formative years, and she avidly enjoyed Doctor Who, Star Trek, and the classic horror films that she used to torment her siblings. Karen and her lifelong friend, Rosie, met during their teenage years and were inseparable. They enjoyed dancing at local discos, chasing boys. Karen attended Catholic school in Belfast and in 1983, obtained her O Levels from Dominican College. She then pursued her love of culinary arts at Rupert Stanley College. In July 1985, at the age of 18, Karen immigrated to Canada with her family to escape the sectarian violence of Northern Ireland. One year after arriving in Winnipeg, Karen graduated with Honours from Churchill High School. In 1987, Karen met her first husband, Michael Van Rooy. They were married in the spring of 1989 and later that same year, welcomed their beloved daughter, Séanin Freya. Although they divorced, Karen and Michael remained steadfast friends and raised their daughter together. As a young mother, Karen opted for a career change and graduated from Business Administration at Red River College. Karen joined Manitoba Blue Cross to cover a maternity leave. She transitioned from a temporary employee to a Health Claims Specialist, spent years manning the BlueNet Help Line after hours, and eventually became the Team Lead of Complex Claims. Karen's wit and eidetic memory proved invaluable to her colleagues, as she was always willing to lend a hand and share her knowledge. Karen formed lifelong friendships during her time at Blue Cross, in particular, with Carla Gibson. During the early 1990s, Karen continued her craft. Her written and illustrated works were featured in multiple editions of a Winnipeg based magazine called "The Minstrel". It was during this time that she began dating her long-time friend, Curtis Rasmussen. Karen and Curt enjoyed many of the same hobbies and interests, in particular, comics, music, and RPG video games. In early 2000, Karen and Curt purchased their current home. On New Years Eve and together with their families, they were joined in marriage at their house. Karen took great pride in her home, her garden, and her cats: Neko, Raven, Miyu, Reynard, and Maeve. Karen's whole world has always been her daughter, Séanin. The two were inseparable, a mother-daughter bond like no other. They have shared many interests over the years including languages, reading, animation, manga, the Symphony, and a passion for travel. Karen's creativity has always overflowed; her love of art eventually transcended from canvas to body. Karen sported many beautiful tattoos. In addition to her published works, Karen's twist on a faerie tale was published in a collection whereby Karen's pen name was Kate Devlin. She also leant herself as an editor and mentor to up and coming authors. Since her youth, Karen loved to cook and over the years, created many signature dishes. Having dinner at Karen and Curt's was always an experience, with your palate being exposed to global tastes. Karen's signature homemade meatballs have been known to cause riots within her own clan! Karen's other interests include the art of belly dance, which she shared with her family, and her latest endeavour, cross-stitching. In the fall of 2011 and after a brief stint with illness, Karen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She was immediately admitted to GD6 at the Health Sciences Centre and thus began her four year battle against the disease. Karen embraced this diagnosis with courage, grace, and her wonderful sense of humour. In January of 2012, Karen received a stem cell transplant. Once in remission, Karen and Séanin travelled to meet her donor. Thank you, Brian Van Delen, for giving Karen the gift of life and allowing us to have an additional four years with her. We will never be able to repay you for your selfless act of kindness. Unfortunately, Karen relapsed in 2014. With a multitude of side effects, Karen persevered, continued to fight, and inspired countless people. Karen's journey came to an end on Sunday, November 8, 2015. She has left a void in the lives of all who knew and loved her, and we will never be the same. Karen's family would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of GD6 at the Health Sciences Centre: Shaun, Stephanie, Paul, Chris, DonPhen, and Bert to name a few; you are incredibly wonderful people. Thank you for the care, compassion, and the friendship you showed not only to Karen, but her family, too. Karen wanted you to know this: "I could not ask for a better group of people to have my back". We would like to thank Karen's oncologists at CancerCare Manitoba: Dr. Szwajcer, Dr. Seftel, and Dr. Kumar. You were an instrumental part of Karen's fight. We also tip our hats to those other influential doctors throughout Karen's life: Doctor Who, Dr. Seuss, Dr. Zoidberg, and Dr. McCoy. To Rosie, Carla, Kerri, Erik, Cookie, Pimp, and Laurie: Thank you for being such wonderful friends, and for being with Karen and her family throughout her journey. She truly loved you all, as do we. To the management and staff of Manitoba Blue Cross: We cannot thank you enough for the many wonderful acts of kindness you have shown to Karen and her family since her diagnosis. You are amazing! Blue Cross truly is the colour of caring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Karen's memory to the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, GD6 Hope Project. Donations of blood products / stem cells may also be made to Canadian Blood Services, as many others are just beginning their fight for life. Cremation has taken place, as per Karen's wishes, there will be no service. Arrangements were entrusted to Voyage Funeral Home.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 14, 2015