Karen Toshie Saito

Karen Toshie Saito

Karen Toshie Saito passed away on June 22, 2025, In the Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington. She passed away very quietly in the presence of her loving husband and her two brothers, Ken (Colleen) and Jeff (Margo) and their wives. She was born on October 11, 1945, in Hunt Idaho, to Tetsuo and Mary Izutsu. She was the last baby to be born in Camp Minidoka, a WWII Japanese concentration camp. She returned to Seattle with her family and grew up there, graduating from Franklin High School at the top of her class. She continued her studies at the University of Washington, majoring in education and became an elementary school teacher. She taught at Campbell Hill Elementary School for forty years before retiring in 2007. At a party celebrating her college graduation, she met Mike Saito and with some encouragement from her friends she continued dating which led to marriage in June of 1969. Karen passed away one week before their fifty-sixth anniversary.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, and two younger brothers, Teddy and Ray. She is survived by her husband Mike and her two brothers and their wives, Ken and Colleen and Jeff and Margo. She also had many nieces and nephews along with many extended family members.

Karen was an avid reader. She enjoyed mysteries, NW authors and historic accounts of the Japanese relocation camps during WWII. She also enjoyed traveling, going to the east coast to attend Broadway shows and museum exhibits. She loved shopping in the large department stores in New York City and Chicago before they opened in the northwest. Her trip to Italy was a highlight of the travel experiences. She took in all the sights and experienced a new adventure in shopping. At the top of her Italian memories was attending a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica celebrated by the Pope for the canonization of Philippine Duchesne. Traveling by cruise ship was also a new treat until her last cruise ended in a horrible case of seasickness which lasted long after she returned home. Karen was also fond of frogs. She was truly interested in their stories, symbolism, and the decoration they added to our house. She rarely went out from home without returning with a frog in some form of jewelry, a clever container, or statuary. Our house became known as the frog house by her loving friends.

Although Karen was afflicted with several illnesses and injuries, she led a full and active life. She will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and the love she extended to others.