Karen Yvonne Watkins

With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Karen Yvonne Watkins, age 37, who departed this life far too soon on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Born on July 31, 1987, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Karen was the beloved daughter of
Yvonne Simpkins and the late Joseph “Jose” Watkins. She was a loving sister to Joseph Watkins, and a light in the lives of everyone who had the honor of knowing her.
Karen was the loving and proud mother of three beautiful children Cameron, Carly, and Brayden. They are her gifts to the world, her greatest joys, and most treasured
blessings. Everything she did was for them and their hearts were her light. Her love for her children was unmatched! Her strength and gentleness as a mother will love them to the end of time and continue to live on through them as they amaze the world.
Proud of all her children and their accomplishments, she took pride in knowing her son Cameron graduated with honors from high school and is college bound to Virginia Commonwealth University.
Karen’s radiant smile could light up any room, and her heart so full of love, warmth, and compassion was a safe haven for all who were blessed to be close to her. She lived her life with an open-heart, free-spirited soul, and had a unique way of making everyone feel seen, valued, and loved. Karen was a people person and she had lots of friends and had many get togethers with them. She also enjoyed spending time with her friends and their children and she affectionally referred to them as “Nieces, Nephews, Aunts, and Cousins”
A graduate of Green Hill Farms Academy, attended Norfolk Public Schools, and graduated from Lake Taylor High School. Karen carried her childhood dreams with her, once declaring at a young age that she wanted to become a ballerina or a pediatrician. And in many ways, she lived like one gracefully dancing through life’s joys and sorrows, bringing beauty and love to every step of her journey, helping those when she could.

Though her time on this earth was far too brief, Karen’s legacy of love, light, and laughter will endure forever in the hearts of those she leaves behind. We find comfort in knowing she is now reunited with open arms by her father and family. She will be watching over her children and loved ones with the same gentle strength she carried here on Earth.
Karen was and will always be, a Queen! A beloved mother, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, partner, and friend. Her kindness, heartfelt smile, and genuine spirit left a lasting mark on everyone she met. She had a way of making every stranger feel like family, and her presence will be deeply missed by all who loved her. She leaves to cherish her memories, her children, 2 sons, Cameron, and Brayden, a daughter Carly, a brother Joseph Paul, a nephew Mark Noah, a loving mother, Yvonne Simpkins, a significant other, Tarnika Epps , special friends, Skenita Epps, Sherresse Lambert, and ShaQuinta Wallace. She is preceded in death by her father, Joseph “Jose” Watkins.
In this time of immense grief, we extend our deepest sympathies to all who mourn Karen’s passing. May memories of her beautiful smile, loving heart, and unforgettable spirit be a source of comfort and inspiration to us all.
“In memories that softly shine, we feel the love you left behind” Rest in eternal peace Karen, we love you more than words can explain. You were truly one of a kind.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karen Yvonne Watkins, please visit our floral store.