Karla Steen Obituary

Steen
Karla Rae
Steen
October 16, 1973
May 15, 2025

Karla Rae (Appleby) Steen, Age 51, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away due to complications from Lymphoma, in Colorado Springs, on Thursday May 15, 2025.

Karla was born on October 16, 1973, in Virginia, Minnesota to Carey and Hazel Appleby. As a young child, Karla loved playing outdoor games with the neighborhood kids, dance lessons, ice skating, as well as camping, swimming, and fishing with her family at one of the many lakes in northern Minnesota. Throughout her high school years, Karla participated in various sports and clubs. She was on the swim, basketball, and track teams and played clarinet as a member of the Virginia Marching Blues. She graduated from Virginia High school with the Class of 1992.

Karla went on to be a member of the women's swim team at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. She obtained her B.S. in Elementary Education in 1995. In the midst of chasing her own dreams at UND, she met and fell in love with John David Steen. John and Karla were married on December 30, 1995 in Virginia, Minnesota.

While John began his chiropractic career living in the upper peninsula of Michigan, they welcomed daughter Abby to the family. The young family relocated to various places before eventually establishing roots in Colorado in 2002. Throughout their moves, Karla continued to pursue her teaching career in a number of different school districts. She obtained her Master's Degree in School Library Media from the University of Maryland in 2010. For the last two decades, Karla taught in Colorado Springs School District 11, finishing her career at Madison Elementary as a longtime kindergarten teacher.

Karla always maintained many friendships across all seasons of life. She loved fiercely and cared deeply about her family, friends, and students. Karla was a loving and dedicated wife and mother. She and John ceaselessly supported Abby in her academic, athletic and extracurricular activities. Together as a family they enjoyed playing board games, being outdoors, watching hockey, and exploring Colorado. Karla also enjoyed chatting and spending time with her friends, shopping for a good deal, fishing, and a sweet treat.

Karla is survived by her daughter Abigail Steen, parents Carey and Hazel Appleby, sister Tammi (Jaret)Wilkins, brother Ryan ( Lauri) Appleby, nieces Nicole (Matt) Niehoff and children Grayson, Natalie, and Madelyn, and Tanya Hoyt and children Adeline and Evelyn, her mother-in-law Chris Sund, brother-in-law Mark (Sarah) Steen, her stepmother-in-law Nancy Steen, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband John Steen, her father-in-law Julius Ronald Steen, and her maternal and paternal grandparents.

Services will be held on Saturday, June 28th, 2025, at 11 AM at Envoy Church in Colorado Springs (2025 N. Murray Blvd). In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred. All memorials received will be used to create a fund to support literacy and social-emotional health programs for young children.