Karen Barker was born on June 23, 1963 in Whitwell, Tennessee. She spent most of her childhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee where she graduated from Brainerd High School with the class of 1981. As an adult, she moved to Southaven, Mississippi where she lived with her long-time partner Lois Rainey and their two children Drew and Carl Rainey.
Karen was an active member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis for many years, and caring for others was her passion. She loved nothing more than cooking an amazing home-cooked meal for those she loved, and she was always the first to offer a smile or a helping hand to others. Her care for others extended to her vocation where she worked in the hospitality industry in several hotels in Memphis over the last 30 years.
Karen was preceded in death by her father Hugh Edward Barker II and her mother Janice Mae Whited. She is survived by her sons Drew and Carl Rainey, her brothers Hugh Barker-Smith and Michael Shannon Barker, and their families Christie Bailey, Amy Barker and nephews Austin, Alex, and Dylan.