Karen Lee Rockenbach, age 82 , of Estero, FL and Lake Geneva, WI passed into God’s house on February 18, 2026 at her home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, surrounded by her loving family.

Karen was born on June 11, 1943, in Chicago, IL and passed away after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her loving husband, Wayne, having celebrated 60 years of marriage on February 5, 2026, and by their three children and nine grandchildren; Kristin (Timothy) Mahoney and William, Grace and Chloe; Carolyn (Ronald) Shores and Emma Sipiora, Eric Sipiora, Marlee Sipiora and Avery Sipiora; and Kenneth (Kristi) Rockenbach and Emerson and Graham. Her parents, Carl and Vida Hance, preceded her in death. She is also survived by her brother, Scott (Cindy) Hance, her sister-in-law, Cynthia Lee, and many cousins.

Karen lived in Chicago until her family moved to Grayslake, IL, at the start of her freshman year in high school. Karen and Wayne were in the same high school class and, although they were friends, they did not date until two and a half years after they graduated when they dated at a New Year’s Eve party. And, as they say, the rest is history. Karen and Wayne were married on February 5, 1966, and raised their children primarily in Libertyville, IL. Wayne has said he could not have had a better life partner and they loved each other very much.

Karen was a loving mother and grandmother, who stayed active in the childrens schools and other activities and was happiest when spending time with family. She was incredibly proud of her family and leaves nothing behind but wonderful memories and cherished being called Nonnie by the grandkids. Some of our favorite memories were of spending time together on Whitewater Lake, WI, particularly on the large screened in porch, during many competitive games of Dominos and while gathered around the kitchen table retelling stories that never failed to make us laugh.

She was also very active in numerous community and charitable organizations and always took a leadership position. She said her life was being a mother and full time volunteer. One of her proudest moments was while serving as president of the Libertyville MainStreet organization, it was awarded a national merit award by the national Main Street America organization. She accepted the award in a presentation in Portland, Oregon.

One of Karen’s passions was her needlework artistry. She was always a very accomplished sewer making many of the children’s clothes. She expanded that talent into very complex needle art. Her use of thread colors, textures, and designs could bring to life an art piece that looked every bit as beautiful as a photograph. She served many years on the boards of various needle art organizations and was awarded many ribbons for her beautiful artwork. She gifted many of her artworks and did a great deal of charity work.

Karen also loved to play golf. Wayne and Karen were charter members of Geneva National Golf Club in Lake Geneva, WI since its opening in 1991 and were members for over 26 years of Wildcat Run Golf and Country Club in Estero, FL. Karen loved to play competitive golf and won many tournaments. One of her proudest trophies was for the Tournament of Champions event in the inaugural year at Geneva National. She also had two holes in one. While she loved the competitive side of golf, she was just as happy playing a round of golf with friends and enjoyed rounds of golf at many of the very well-known courses in the United States.

Karen really enjoyed traveling. Over the years she visited Hawaii numerous times, did several river boat cruises in Europe, visited the Far East and had a truly memorable trip through Australia and New Zealand. She was oftentimes accompanied by her cousin and best friend, Judy Hogan. One of her favorite memories was a river cruise in France where she visited Normandy, France. She found her visit there unbelievably moving. While she enjoyed foreign travel, she always said there was no better place to visit than the United States. She loved the United States best of all.

Karen and Wayne were also active in various Presbyterian churches as they moved from location to location. Most recently they were members of First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, FL and found much enjoyment and fulfilment from the wonderful staff, outstanding music and learning opportunities at the church. Karen would also like to thank the medical staff at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin for their outstanding care.

Karen leaves behind many great friends. Those friendships meant the world to her, and she loved being with her friends. She will be missed by many, and we are sure that she would want you to know how thankful she was to have so many great friends. While her passing is a tremendous loss for all of us, we should be comforted by her always positive spirit and by the great memories she has left for us.

Memorial services in Estero, Florida, and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, will be announced at a later date.

To post an online condolence please proceed to the bottom of the obituary under Guest Book where you can submit your post.

Derrick Funeral Home is honored to be assisting Karen's family.