Elaine LaRee Karstens

Elaine LaRee Karstens

Elaine LaRee Karstens, 64, quietly left the travails and challenges of this life behind at 11:08 pm on Thursday, May 7, 2026 – stepping through the veil to the reward she so richly deserved.  She passed away at the EvergreenHealth Medical Center, Kirkland, due to complications related to multiple sclerosis (MS).

Born in Boise, Idaho, to Sylvester DeLamar “Del” Low and LaRee Wilde on December 28, 1961, Elaine was the youngest of four siblings.  The first twelve years of her life were spent in the family home on Windsor Drive before moving to Dallas, Texas.  She attended high school at The Hockaday School in Dallas, then spent the first three years of college at the University of Utah.  Elaine graduated from Southern Methodist University.

She met her husband, John, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was stationed with the US Air Force.  They married on April 29^th, 1989, in Albuquerque.  Elaine accompanied John to his next duty station in England for the next 2 ½ years, during which time, their daughter, Jenna, was born.  When John left the Service in 1992, they moved (via her parents’ Bellevue home) to Plano, Texas, where their son, Paul, was born.  They left Plano in 1996 to return to Albuquerque and, over the next 29 years, Elaine made comfortable and loving homes for her family there in New Mexico, Burlington, Vermont, Albuquerque one last time, Huntingtown, Maryland, and Lancaster, California.  She and John moved to Monroe, Washington, in April of 2025 to retire and be near their adult children.

Elaine battled MS for over 40 years, beating back the disease to live life on her terms as best she could.  During the last couple of years, she struggled more with the mounting challenges to life and health.  Despite all that came her way, Elaine refused to show anything but a positive spirit, a desire to serve Heavenly Father through his sons and daughters around her, and – not the least – a fierce devotion to her family.

Through it all, Elaine was a devoted mother to her two children, a magnificent chief operations/financial officer for the home, and a wonderful wife to John for 37 years.  She was also a potent emissary of Jesus Christ through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  And the icing on the cake – she was a poised and beautiful composite of the following, written about her in messages after her death:  “her grace and sweetness,” “grateful to have known her,” “a treasured part of my life,” “so much love and compassion and joy and wisdom packed in that tiny little body,” “rarely without a smile,” “Heaven’s gain but such earthly loss,” “a blessing in my life and will be remembered always,” “taught me so much,” “will deeply miss my dear, sweet friend,” “very rarely voiced discouragement,” and “her gratitude for every little service was genuine, heartfelt and poured out freely.”

Goodbye, my love, God has you safely home, and we are glad.

A Celebration of Elaine’s Life will be held on May 23.

In lieu of flowers, follow Elaine’s service lead and donate on her behalf to a worthy cause of your choice in whatever place you call home.