Karen Gay Mack (née Corscadden) passed away peacefully on May 15, 2026, at the Villa Marie Care Home in Red Deer, Alberta, surrounded by her loving family.

Karen was born in Biggar, Saskatchewan, on January 17, 1942, to Winnie and Lloyd Corscadden. She was raised in the family pharmacy alongside her sister, Lois, until Karen and her mom relocated to Kerrobert, SK, shortly after Karen’s 12th birthday. It was in Kerrobert that she met the love of her life, Gary, whom she married on October 28, 1960.

Karen and Gary built a wonderful life together centered around family, hard work, and community. In their early years, they lived on the Harold and Peggy Mack Family farm near Kerrobert in a small house next to Gary’s parents. They then built a house on the farm in Dodsland, SK, and in February 1964 they moved in. Karen ran a successful, tidy home with baking, canning, home cooking, and fun, music, and singing mixed throughout. She learned to drive a grain truck for the harvest season – entertaining us kids in the cab with Sears and Eaton’s Christmas catalogues – and tended plentiful gardens and a small orchard, and sewed clothes, Halloween costumes, and Christmas stockings. She graduated from McTavish Business School in Edmonton, AB, following Grade 12, and worked as secretary at the Dodsland School for several years, sold Nutri-Metics cosmetics for 10 years, and taught Home Economics, Typing, and Health classes at North West Central High School in Plenty, SK. In 1983, she and Gary purchased D&M Motors and ran it as Mack’s Sales & Service, remodeling the storefront area and adding Value Master Hardware to vehicle repairs, agricultural equipment and parts, and gas sales. After the proud achievement of receiving her certificate in Local Government Administration, Karen was village administrator for Dodsland from 1989 to 1995.

Karen had a lifelong love of singing. At the age of 9, she won the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto Silver Medal for Grade 1 Singing, which was the highest mark earned in Canada. While attending business college in Edmonton, she joined the Edmonton Choral Society and she later led the Junior Choir in the Dodsland United Church, and later the United Church choir at Alix, AB. While she performed as a soloist at many celebrations, she also joined musical productions in Biggar, travelling with others from Dodsland.

She was deeply involved in the community of Dodsland. She co-led Explorers for a few years and was a member of and served on the executive of the Ladies Curling Club and United Church Women at various times. Both Karen and Gary took part in the theatre productions in Dodsland and belonged to the Dodsland Dixie Chains Square Dance Club and spent many hours happily dancing and visiting other clubs throughout the area.

They were both members of the Order of the Eastern Star, first in the Kerrobert Chapter and later Venus Chapter 2 in Red Deer. Karen served as Worthy Matron on three different occasions and was appointed Grand Chaplain of Saskatchewan in 1997 as well as other provincial roles previously. Karen received her 60-year OES pin in the fall of 2020 and will receive her 65-year pin posthumously in 2026.

Karen became the town administrator for Eastend, SK, and Alix, AB, before she and Gary retired to Red Deer, where she spent some time doing contract work for Civic Solutions. Karen expanded her sewing expertise from clothing of all types to quilting, and both she and Gary took pride in their two yards, in particular the flowers. They were part of the gardening club as well as the Alzheimer’s walking club.

More than any title or accomplishment, Karen treasured time spent with her family. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her happiest moments included family water fights, banging around roasters on Christmas morning with the pretense of getting the turkey in the oven, and time spent doing crafts and baking with her grandchildren. She also loved extended family trips to the lake for swimming lessons, family reunions, card games, vacation travel and celebrating her family’s life accomplishments.

Karen is survived by her beloved husband Gary; her children Lloyd (Shirley), Corinne (Ian), Wayne, and Trevor (Rebecca); her grandchildren Katie, Marissa (Rob), Lauren (Meurig), Alex, Andrew (Kaixin), Curtis (Alisha), Grace (Cole), Rowen, and Norah; and her great-grandchildren Forest, Wilder, and Bodie. She is also survived by many extended family members and dear friends and will be greatly missed.

Karen is predeceased by her parents Lloyd and Winnie Corscadden, sister Lois Andrews, father and mother-in-law Harold and Peggy Mack, daughter-in-law Shannon Mack, brothers-in-law Wally Andrews, George Mack, and Harry Thiessen, and sister-in-law Bonnie Mack.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the doctors and staff at the Villa Marie Care Home in Red Deer, particularly those who made it her home for the past five and a half years.

A Celebration of Karen’s Life will be held at Parkland Funeral Home, 6287-67A Street, Red Deer, Alberta on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed at the following link: https://www.parklandfuneralhome.com/live-stream.

If desired, Memorial Donations in Karen’s honour may be made directly to www.covenantfoundation.ca – Red Deer – Villa Marie – Recreation Department or to the Alzheimer’s Society at www.alzheimer.ca. Memorial Trees may also be planted in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan or Red Deer, Alberta in her memory.

Cremation entrusted to Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, Red Deer, Alberta. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer)

ONLY LOCALLY FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOME/CREMATORIUM

IN THE CITY OF RED DEER

“Caring Community Compassion Since 1999”

6287 – 67A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040.

• Date : 2026-06-05
• Location : Parkland Funeral Home (Red Deer) www.parklandfuneralhome.com 403.340.4040