Karen Esplin

Karen Esplin, 70, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away Monday, March 20, 2023, after an illness. Karen was born September 23, 1952, in Preston, Idaho, to Merl Hardy and Luana Porter Esplin. She was the second of ten children. As a child, Karen was known for her sense of humor and mischief. She loved to read and enjoyed learning about different places and historical periods.

Karen attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She had a hard time choosing a single subject as a major, and she left school as a young adult without completing a degree. She later returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in history in 2002. She had strong English language skills, gleaned in part from her avid reading. While attending BYU in her forties, she began working as an editorial intern for BYU Studies, an interdisciplinary scholarly publication. After graduation, she went on to work in the journals department at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) in Washington, DC, for many years. She retired from ASM in 2022.

Karen loved cats and had three feline children while living in Northern Virginia: Tommy, Baby, and Robie. Robie, who was named after a fictional character, was her last pet and preceded her in death in December 2022.

Karen is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Robert Lawrence, of Burley, Idaho; her mother, Luana Esplin, of Preston; four brothers; four sisters; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Merl Esplin, and by her brother Cleve Esplin.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at noon at Webb Funeral Home, 1005 S. 800 E., Preston, Idaho.  A viewing will be held Thursday from 11-11:45 a.m. prior to the services.  Interment will be in the Preston Cemetery. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at webbmortuary.com