Karen Anne (Yoder) DeSantis

Karen Anne (Yoder) DeSantis age 57, died Wednesday, June 15, 2016. She was a beloved wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt and step- Grandmother. Born in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1958, Karen grew up in Linthicum, MD., just outside of Baltimore. She was a graduate of Andover High School in 1978. A lifelong lover of dogs, she was a junior handler for fun matches as a teenager which lead to her starting her dog grooming career at a kennel in southern Maryland. In 1979, along with her family, Karen relocated to Pittsburgh, settling in Murrysville in Westmoreland County where she became a small business owner when she opened her own dog grooming salon. The Paw Pad on Route 22 in Delmont. Staying in business for over 20 years, she eventually operated the business out of her home. Karen was an avid nature lover and bird watcher. She along with her husband, enjoyed camping, hiking, biking, geocaching (logging over 300 caches), mushroom hunting and most outdoor activities as well as spending time with her dogs and working in her yard. As a novice apiarist, Karen also maintained a honey bee colony in her yard, producing her own honey that she would provide to family and friends. She was also a member of the Pennsylvania Beekeeper Association. Always an artistic person, she also started a fledgling furniture restoration business, Restyled at Seven Oaks. She was preceded in death by her father, Edward W. Yoder. She is survived by her husband of 17 years, Richard P. DeSantis; stepdaughter, Ashley (Logan) DeSantis Vargas, Step grandson, Logan; mother, Carolyn (Hill) Yoder,; two brothers, Andrew (Michelle) Yoder and John (Kimberly) Yoder; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A memorial service for family and friends will be held from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, June 25 at the Wolfe-von Geis Funeral Home, Inc., 5701 Lincoln Ave., Export (724) 327-1400. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to support cancer research at freetobreath.org. www.wolfe-vongeis.com

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