Karen Sue Prince's Obituary
PRINCE, Karen Sue, age 69, of Centerville and formerly of West Carrollton, passed away on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at Bethany Lutheran Village in Centerville.
Karen graduated from Bellbrook High School, class of ’75. With a strong work ethic and welcoming personality, she worked as a deli clerk at Kroger’s for over 25 years before officially retiring.
She started dating her best friend in 1990 and was ecstatic when she married Charlie in 1996. They were inseparable. Camping was a lifelong tradition with Charlie, but he quickly got her into the tradition when he bought a park model camper in Heritage Hills, Indiana. They quickly made lots of friends and called themselves the “pin wheelers.” She greatly cherished their time spent there. Charlie was also a big fisherman; Karen would gladly jump in his boat just to spend time with him on the lake. They shared a love of country music and enjoyed attending concerts.
Kind and caring, she never had a negative thing to say about others. She lived her life with a very positive outlook, even though she lived in a considerable amount of pain, she never complained, and could always be seen with a smile on her face. Her smile and happy-go-lucky personality were some of her best qualities. She was proud of having a good, well-kept home. She had a soft spot for dogs, especially her rescued dog. All of her life, she had lots of dogs, most of them being Pomeranians. Later in life, she picked up the hobby of reading romance novels. Karen loved to go shopping, especially for clothes and jewelry. She always wanted her necklaces and bracelets to match her outfit. She had a very close connection with her sister, Judy. Every year on Black Friday, they would meet at 5 am to hit all the deals, starting at Elder-Beerman. The two of them loved Marion’s Pizza, and when Karen would go visit Judy, she brought two frozen pizzas from Marion’s. When they traveled together, Karen was always ready with her snack bag full of salty snacks to munch on during their adventure.
Family always held a special place in Karen’s heart. She was interested in the lives of her stepchildren, grandchildren, sister, niece, and nephews. She was constantly trying to find new adventures to do as a family and was very involved with their lives, even if it was just as simple as fishing or feeding ducks on the pond. Every summer, she made time to visit her sister with her mother. She loved her nephews so much that she would gladly jump at the chance to play any game or try anything new, including even skateboarding. Holidays were a big deal to her, and she looked forward to decorating for each one. Karen would look forward to having everyone over for the holiday meals. She was well known for her southern comfort foods, especially her corn pudding and mac’n cheese. She enjoyed finding recipes and writing them on note cards to cherish for another event. Christmas time brought the usual tree decorations and lights, but in Karen’s home, the center of attention was the two-level Christmas village, which she started decorating the night after Thanksgiving. Among many things, she will be remembered for her love of family and the joy they each brought to her.
The family would like to extend a huge thank you to Bethany Lutheran Village in Centerville for her care over the last five years. All of the staff, the nurses, and the cleaning crew were incredible. You could tell the staff truly loved and cared for Karen through their laughter and their tears. They were truly a great group of people, and the family couldn’t have asked for a better group to take care of her.
Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Charles R. Prince, in January of 2025; her parents, Russell Faulkner and Jane Porcha; and her brother, John (Joyce) Faulkner. She is survived by her stepdaughter, Lisa (Rob) Mays; stepson, Michael (Karey) Prince; four grandchildren, Alyssa Prince, Branden DeLess, Robby (Mackenzie) Mays, and Zachary Mays; great-granddaughter, Eloise Mays; her sister, Judy (Edgar) Beekman; and one niece and three nephews.
A celebration of life service will be at 12:30 pm on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook. Brian Bennett will be officiating. The family will receive friends from 11 am to 12:30 pm on Friday at the funeral home. If desired, contributions may be made to your local Humane Society. Condolences are available at https://www.connerandkoch.com.
What’s your fondest memory of Karen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Karen?
Share a story where Karen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Karen you’ll never forget.
How did Karen make you smile?
