LITTLE FALLS – Mrs. Karen A. Klimacek, age 79, of Flint Avenue Extension, Little Falls, New York, passed away peacefully early Saturday morning, June 12, 2021, at Bassett Healthcare, in Cooperstown, New York, her loving family always and forever in her heart and at her side. We would like to take the opportunity to extend our warmest thanks to the 2nd Floor staff at Cooperstown Bassett for their compassionate care. She was born on February 11, 1942, in Little Falls, a daughter of the late Wendell and Marguerite (Woodruff) Unser. She received her education and graduated from Little Falls schools and went on to receive her CNA at Herkimer County Community College. She was united in marriage to John Paul Klimacek who passed away July 18, 1997. Karen was of the Catholic faith. Karen worked as a CNA at Van Allen’s Nursing Home, in Little Falls, a career that spanned over 39 years. She enjoyed shopping, reading, knitting, crafts and crocheting. She was always the “cool” mom and treated friends as family. She always made everyone who came to the house feel welcome whether it was their first or fiftieth time. She was commonly known as the best pastry maker to everyone that knew her. She used to make Slovakian fried pastries, a recipe passed down from her husband’s grandmother. People stopped in and out during the holidays to enjoy and eat these pastries. The recipe is still used today by her children. Having five children did not deter her from making everyone feel like an individual. She put her heart into everything that she did. She enjoyed watching football with her sons and shopping with her daughters. She instilled within her children that hard work and compassion should be an integral part of any task. Karen will be fondly remembered by her family and friends as someone who always made others feel included and as someone who would go out of her way to help others. She absolutely loved Christmas and would always decorate the tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. She would even change regular paper towels for Christmas patterned ones. Every place in the house was decorated for Christmas from the time the tree went up until the middle of January. She will fondly be remembered through every ornament hung, every pastry made and every football game as an amazing mother and grandmother. She will be truly missed, but we will always keep in mind ‘her words,’ “no one is ever truly gone if you think of them, for they will be forever in your heart.” We now have a guardian angel in heaven, who will watch over all of us. She is survived by her beloved family: children, John Klimacek (Robin), Kim Scanlon (Tricia), Kevin Klimacek, Julie Regan (Mark) and Jennifer Merrell (Joe); her grandchildren, John “JJ” Klimacek, Nicholas Klimacek, Madeline Merrell, Xavier Regan, Mariah Regan and Jeffrey Day; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Marguerite and Wendell; her husband, John P. Klimacek; and her brothers, Winnie and Dougie Unser. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 17, 2021, at 10:00 AM, at the Enea Family Funeral Home, 24 West Monroe Street, in Little Falls, New York, with Father Brian Slezak, officiating. Interment will take place at Holy Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, in Little Falls. Friends and relatives are invited to attend calling hours at the funeral home on Wednesday evening, June 16th, from 5 until 8 PM and attend the funeral and interment services as well. It is the wish of the family that memorial contributions in loving memory of Karen be considered to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, Memphis, TN 38105 and envelopes will be available at the Enea Family Funeral Home for this purpose. Karen’s funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Enea Family Funeral Home, Little Falls, NY, Funeral Directors Harry J. Enea, Jr., Kevin E. Enea and Martin L. Ciaccia (315) 823-2424.