Karen A. Willmann

Karen Ann Willmann (Shanahan) of Dardenne Prairie, MO, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Karen was born in St. Louis, MO, on January 1, 1957 at the stroke of midnight. The city celebrated her as the first baby of the year and portrayed her photo in newspapers, despite her growing up never wanting to be the center of attention. A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and nurse, she dedicated her life to her family, friends, and doing the right thing. She was a constant, grounding presence to all that knew her.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, James Shanahan Jr. and Lorraine Shanahan (Bereuter), and her brother, James Shanahan III. She is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, Richard Willmann; her children, Richard Willmann II (Tania) and Maureen Willmann (Kelly Murray); her grandchildren, Richard “Craig” Willmann III, Jeremy Willmann, and Josephine Willmann; her brothers, Patrick Shanahan, Kevin Shanahan, Bryan Shanahan, and John Shanahan; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Karen's first home was in University City, MO, where her father worked for the University City fire department. When she was 11, the family moved to Florissant, MO, and Karen joined the cheerleading team at McClure North. Famously, she and Rick shared their first kiss at midnight on her birthday, January 1, 1973. They married 3 years later on April 2, 1976.

On January 21, 1980, they welcomed their first child, Richard. After moving to Indianapolis, IN, Springfield, IL, and Omaha, NE, they welcomed a second child on July 21, 1986, Maureen. They moved again to be close to family in Chesterfield, MO and settled there for 33 years.

When Karen was young, she received a camera and developed a deep, long-lasting love of photography. Her legacy is captured in thousands of photos spanning most of her lifetime, pressed into albums. She was always able to document the fun and chaos of any situation. Naturally, she became the family historian, spending hours on Ancestry.com piecing together the family tree.

Karen was an adoring, supportive mother who took on many roles for her family: PTO room mother, Cub Scout den mother, Girl Scout troop leader, seamstress, tailor, chef, chauffeur, baker, and overall homemaker. There wasn't a gymnastics practice she didn't watch, a marching band competition she didn't attend, or a soccer game she didn't record. Somehow, she managed to be everything to everyone, all the time.

In addition to her busy schedule, Karen enjoyed many of her own hobbies. She and Rick were able to see classic rock concerts together for $3.00 a ticket, standing in front of musicians like The Rolling Stones, Yes, and Ten Years After. For decades, she and Rick supported their local sports teams, particularly the Cardinals, where they cheered for the home team behind home plate at Busch Stadium. She loved playing sports, too, be it softball leagues, wiffle ball in the backyard, or golf with Rick and the grandchildren. She enjoyed video games, especially Super Mario and Pokemon, and was the best Gradius player in the house. Mystery was her literary genre of choice, and there was always an Elizabeth George novel on her nightstand.

Karen cared for her parents in their old age, providing hospice care to her mother in her final years for an incredible 28 months. In 2006, she added grandmother to her list of titles, as her son and his wife, Tania, welcomed their first child, Richard "Craig" Willmann III, followed by Jeremy Willmann in 2008 and Josephine Willmann in 2010. One of her greatest joys in life was her grandchildren, and she was happy to help with them any time she could.

After spending so many years caring for so many others, Karen decided she had more to give. She chose to pursue a nursing degree and graduated in 2011, working as a nurse shortly after. She saw every patient as an individual and treated every single one like she was caring for her own mother again.

Karen lived an exemplary life, leaving behind a legacy of loyalty, honesty, family, and kindness we can all strive for.

She will be dearly missed.

Memorials may be made in Karen's name to BackStoppers or Siteman Cancer Center.