KAREN SUE CORNELIUS

1940-2017

Houston, Texas — Karen Sue Cornelius, 76, died April 3, 2017, in Houston, Texas. She was born October 12, 1940 in Wyandotte, Kansas to Cecil and Evelyn Stevenson Cornelius.

She was a naturally gifted photographer and graduated with honors from UC Santa Cruz in pursuit of her talents. Through her nearly 20 years at The Nature Conservancy of Texas and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Karen’s legacy of conservation is remarkable. She led TNC’s most successful capital campaign, ‘Saving the Best of Texas’, and raised an unsurpassed $50 million, raising the funds to procure many TNC preserves, including Mad Island Marsh and Dolan Falls. The GCBO Avian Conservation Center would never have been built without her efforts.

Karen is survived by her children Kathy Frietsch, Steven Frietsch and his wife Cathy, Michael Frietsch and his wife Michele, grandchildren Kayla, Annie and Hanna, sister Cindy Cornelius and brother Mike Cornelius, as well as many cousins, including Gwen and Daniel Ferguson. She had many cherished friends from her adventurous life.

Somewhere, probably in the Tetons, Karen is sitting atop a mountain looking down on this world, remembering the many friends and family that shared time with her in ranges around the world. Karen continues to light our trails and we are forever grateful.

The memorial service will be private. Memorial gifts in her name may be made to The Nature Conservancy of Texas or the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.