Kären Kristan Burge Gavaletz, 59, of Pensacola, FL was born on August 4, 1962, in San Antonio, TX and peacefully departed this life to join our Lord and passed loved ones on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Kären is preceded in death by her parents, John Wesley Burge IV and Shirley Paulette Burge and her maternal and paternal grandparents.

Kären is survived by her devoted husband, Richard Eric "Rick" Gavaletz; stepdaughters, Ashleigh and Madison Gavaletz; her sweet fur babies, Ophelia & Rosie who comforted her and brought her joy. Kären was the youngest of five siblings, and is lovingly remembered by them and their families, John W. Burge V (Lucinda), Delene Cole (Les), Eric Burge, and Kurt Burge (Linda). She is remembered with love by dearest family friends Donna Minton, Sandy Cesaretti and she is known and loved as Aunt Kären by at least 13 nieces, nephews, co-workers, and lifelong friends she stayed in contact with since her early school days. She and Rick had an extended NASCAR family including Grant Enfinger and the Enfinger family. Racing became Kären's passion and eagerly attended her last race in Daytona to cheer Grant on to victory in 2020.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Kären was a graduate of Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, MO and had lifelong friends she stayed in contact with since her early school days. She attended Maryville College in St. Louis, transferred, and graduated from the University of West Florida. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Southern California and received her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy and was employed as an OT throughout Florida for many years.

From Rick, Kären's husband….Along with the obvious, Kären was the strongest person I've ever known. We were always up for new challenges and adventures, and it was always Kären who made a complete study of the venture/task with its ups, downs, dangers, excitements and thrills involved. We never dove a dive site or reef that she didn't have the dive planned out from top (literally) to bottom time (literally) and everything in between (yep, again literally!) as it should be from a Master Diver.

She was my friend first, my wife, the stepmother to my children and the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We always made spending decisions as a team (sometimes to my chagrin) which always was to the betterment of us as a couple.

I miss her terribly!

Kären loved being a wife and mother, loved helping others to see their strengths, and was a passionate advocate about animal rights and safe shelters, evidenced by having had countless four-legged (one very sweet three-legged cat named, BooBoo) rescues and fosters throughout her life. Kären was an avid Master SCUBA diver, gardener, photographer, an accomplished artist in her own right, and loved boating, and living on the water with her family in Grande Lagoon in Pensacola, FL.

Kären's ashes, per her request will be dedicated to three places here on earth. She will be forever at Cedar Falls, San Antonio, TX where her family owned and ran a ranch. She will be inurned in an artificial reef to be in The Gulf of Mexico at coordinates to be announced at a later date as her own reef where she can nurture our valuable sea life she so loved. Finally, her ashes will be set free off the coast of Key West to follow the Gulf Stream around the worlds currents and tides spreading her love and care for our oceans, seas, and nature in general. Dates for these arrangements will follow in the coming months.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to the Humane Society of Pensacola.

Special thanks to Vitas Hospice, specifically her nurse, Sarah Besancon and the great staff for the exceptional care given to Kären in her final months. Thank you, Grant Enfinger for the very touching tribute you gave Kären after your race in Charlotte, NC. Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes we received right before and directly following Kären's passing.