Karen A. Saey

Karen A. Saey died February 3, 2022. She lived 80 fulfilling years. She was born September 25, 1941 to Robert Donald Fitzgerald and Anna Nadine Fitzgerald (nee Gregory) in St. Louis. She grew up in Delwood, the eldest of the three Fitzgerald children.

Karen attended Laboure High School, where she met the love of her life Francis Joseph Saey, II. The two eloped October 17, 1958 and were married 33 years until Bud's death in 1992. Karen's dream had always been to be a wife and mother. She and her husband fulfilled that dream with seven children, who the couple raised in Jennings. Once her youngest child was in school, Karen attended Florissant Valley Community College where she earned a nursing degree. She was a registered pediatric nurse at Normandy Osteopathic and later worked at Barnes.

After the death of her mother in September 1992, Karen moved to Bartow, Florida, to care for her father. She lived in Florida close to two of her children, her brothers and Karen's favorite place, Walt Disney World. She moved back to Florissant in 2014 where she lived until her death.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Anna Fitzgerald, her husband, Francis “Bud” Saey, and her brother, Robert (surviving sister-in-law, Betty) Fitzgerald, of Bartow, FL. She is survived by her brother Thomas (Alice) Fitzgerald of Bartow, Florida; brother-in-law Thomas “Larry” Lawrence (Mary) Saey of St. Louis, her children Francis “Buddy” Joseph (Mina) Saey, III of Grand Falls, Texas; Catherine Hammack of Florissant; Donna “DJ” (Amy) Saey of San Antonio, Texas; Mary (Steve) Aleo of Merritt Island, Florida; Margaret “Peggy” Lococo of St. Peters; Constance “Connie” (Kyle) Saey of St. Charles; Robert (Tina) Saey of Silver Spring, Maryland; Grandchildren Nicholas (Karen) Varcoe of Orlando, Florida; Stephanie (Rich) Guion of St. Charles; Gene (Heather) Hammack of Florissant; Joshua (Rachel) Varcoe of San Diego, California; Mark (Valerie) Graczyk of DeSoto, Missouri; Tony (Katie) Lococo of St. Peters; Thomas Hammack of Hazelwood; Stanley (Sally) Graczyk of St Peters; and Michael Aleo of Merritt Island; and 11 great-grandchildren, cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. She was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend and will be greatly missed.

Memorials may be made in Karen's name to Evelyn's House or American Kidney Foundation.