Karen Asch Mueller

Karen Ann Asch Mueller

01/08/1956 - 02/20/2025

69 Years Old

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Karen Ann Asch Mueller on February 20 at the age of 69. She was a loving mother, wife and friend who brought joy to those around her with her kindness, creativity, and energy. Her love for family, animals, and art shaped her life.

Karen and her twin sister Kim were born on the same birth date as Elvis Presley and David Bowie, leading to a love of music throughout her life. As a child she loved to ride horses and raise rabbits in the backyard and always enjoyed time with her large circle of friends.

Karen graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1974, where she was involved in many school activities. She walked away her senior year with the well-deserved accolade of “Best Smile.” She went on to earn a degree in Fine Arts and Psychology from the University of Denver, where she developed a love for sports, including football, softball, basketball and water polo. She also continued a life-long love for animals when she adopted her first best friend (dog) Rava, with whom she became inseparable. Rava daily accompanied Karen to class and simply waited for her when her class got out, no matter what time the bell rang.

After graduating in 1978, Karen moved to Evergreen, CO, where she began her career across a variety of jobs, and where she met her husband Ed. Living with her sister Kim, she worked as a baker’s assistant in Kittridge and could run a pool table at the local bar, Little Bear. Karen and Ed married in 1987 and settled in Lakewood, CO with Rava and her two cats, Millie and Delsie, and soon welcomed their first child, Emily. Laura and Grace came next, and the family moved to another house in Lakewood; Karen proudly kept her first property as a rental home. During this time, she built a successful career as an Account Executive at Gannett Outdoor while raising her daughters.

In 1998, Karen took over her father’s business, Asch Advertising, which specialized in outdoor advertising. She also pursued her passion for art through her company, KAsch Images, where she hand-colored black-and-white photographs and handmade paper bead necklaces and sold these art pieces at festivals across Colorado. Later in life, Karen worked on creative projects such as decorating wreaths, arranging flowers, and setting up displays for American Greetings.

She found joy in all things artistic, from pottery and charcoal drawings to photography. She loved attending plays at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and was a talented

bowler, often scoring over 200. An athlete throughout her life, she enjoyed skiing, tennis, basketball, and softball. Summers were spent on Cape Cod, where she cherished beach days, spotting seals, and swimming in the ocean with her family. She was happiest when she had a full, buttered lobster in hand.

Another pleasure in Karen’s life was playing the slots at the casinos in Las Vegas, Central City or Mohegan Sun. She always had a great time playing with her daughters, friends or family. Karen seemed to win all the time, to the point anyone playing with her would rub her for good luck (which usually only came to Karen).

Karen had a deep love for animals and cared for many over the years, including Nellie, Doug, Tootsie, Sally, Kasey, Delsie, Millie, Pandy, and Decon. She never met a stranger, always making friends wherever she went and opening her home to anyone in need.

Karen is survived by her parents, Gordon and Shirley Asch; siblings, Kim Mahoney, Jennifer Asch, and Glenn Asch; husband, Ed Mueller; daughters, Emily, Laura, and Grace Mueller; her dogs, Nellie and Doug; her cat, Tootsie; and her grandpets, Frankie, Jack, Rose, and Misty.