Karin Lee Marsh

Karin Lee (Wolfe) Marsh was born April 4, 1942 in Fort Collins, CO. She spent most of her life in Fort Collins, attending Harris Elementary, Lincoln Jr. High, and Fort Collins High Schools. She attended CSU and attained her secretarial associates degree, which led her to jobs at the Boeing Company and Martin Marietta in California. In Colorado, she worked at Poudre Valley REA for a few years, but spent most of her career (25 years) as the secretary at Plymouth Congregational Church.
She met her future husband, Tom Marsh, at age 14 (he was 16). They dated for several years, however, they ultimately went their separate ways. During this separate period, they each got married and each had a child (Tom and Kevin). They reunited in 1971, married in 1972, and added one child (Shawna) to their blended family.
As a child, Karin was a tap dancer. She was also very athletic and was given the nickname, "Lady Tarzan" by her peers in gym class. She and her family went camping often, mostly at Snowy Range. As a young woman, Karin was into fast cars and spent time drag racing, which led to trips to watch the stock car races. Later in life, there was lots of water skiing on Warren Lake and Horsetooth Reservoir, hiking as many mountains as possible (including Longs Peak) with her mother and three kids, road trips to the western slope to spend time with family, reading, watching her children play sports/sing/dance, playing with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and spending time at the cabin in Red Feather—She loved being outside.
Music was a big part of Karin's life. Forever an Elvis Presley fan, but any kind of music would do. She and her daughter spent many evenings at the Lincoln Center and Buell Theater watching musicals, plays, and concerts (her favorite remained The Phantom of the Opera).
Although she was shy and quiet by nature, Karin was an adventurer: fast cars, bad boys (Tom), loud music, and anything to do with nature. She loved to learn, loved new things, loved her family. She was kind, thoughtful, magnanimous, and the most selfless person. Her gifts given were time and love, and she gave them freely. To know Karin was to know warmth and compassion, and it enveloped you. She made you feel like you were the most important person in the world—not just once, but every time she saw you. She made you a better person.
Karin passed away August 2, 2017 after a brief battle with cancer. She is preceded in death by her parents, Walter Dean Wolfe and Phyllis Alberta (Rohrer) Wolfe, her niece, Rhonda Patzia, and her son-in-law, Steven Holbrook Hawes. She leaves behind her adoring husband, Charles Thomas Marsh, her three kids, Kevin Scott (Doble) Marsh (Denise), Thomas James Marsh (Tara), Shawna Lee Hawes, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, her sisters, Paula Diane Henderson (Ron), Judy Lynn Perkins (Morris), and a slew of nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Memorial Service will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church, 916 W Prospect Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80526, Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 11 am. A reception will immediately follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Larimer County Humane Society or Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation , in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Ft. Collins, CO 80524. Please visit bohlenderfuneralchapel.com to send the family online condolences.