Karen Ann Hunsicker
Karen attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School and North Central High School, where she was part of a nationally-ranked rifle team. After graduating with honors, she attended Indiana University, where she studied Spanish, English and Anthropology.
There, she met fellow student Bruce Hunsicker on the rifle range, and fell in love. They married on November 26, 1966, and lived briefly in Peoria, Illinois, before moving back to Bloomington.
Karen began her teaching career at Hunter Elementary, University High School, Batchelor Middle School and Bloomington High School North. She taught Spanish at Bloomington High School South for the majority of her career, serving as Foreign Language Department Head from 1999 until her retirement in 2002 after 36 years in the classroom. While teaching, she earned a Master’s Degree in Education from IU.
Karen and Bruce made their home in rural Owen County, where they raised two daughters, Heather and Samantha. A lover of the outdoors, she collected sea shells from around the world and arrowheads from her own property.
Karen was an avid traveler and saw much of the country with her family. She took frequent trips to Spain with her students and hosted exchange teachers and students from Spain, Germany, Malaysia and Japan. Her love of travel also took her across Europe, to the Caribbean and Costa Rica, and even Japan.
Karen and Bruce retired and moved out to Las Cruces, NM, buying a fifth wheel to explore the Wild West.
Not one to fully retire, she worked for IU, crafting award-winning distance-learning Spanish language courses and teaching students from across the globe from her base in Las Cruces.
Karen led a full and adventurous life, touching thousands of lives in the classroom and around the world. She was deeply loved and will be missed.
Karen is survived by her husband; daughters, Heather Powell and Samantha Hyde; parents; brothers; grandchildren, Benjamin Hyde and Savannah Powell; and sons-in-law, Tom Powell and Charles Hyde.
She is preceded in death by her father- and mother-in-law, Donald and Frances Hunsicker, and granddaughter, Ashley Powell.
Karen’s life will be celebrated at a calling on Monday, October 29th at the Gothic Chapel at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis from noon until 2:00 p.m., with a graveside service immediately following.
Online condolences can be expressed to the bereaved family.