Karin Lee (Hanna) COMEAU
Marriages
Curt Comeau
Obituaries
Steamboat Pilot & Today - January 23, 2024
December 24, 1952 – January 15, 2024
It is with immense sadness we share the passing of Karin Lee (Hanna) Comeau. She left us peacefully on January 15, 2024, after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband of 37 years, former Steamboat dentist Dr. Curt Comeau, daughter Kelsey Comeau (partner Jeff Wilson), son Cameron Comeau, sister Julie Hanna, brother Dave Hanna and mother Joyce Petersen, her newly adopted rescue dog Riley, grand-dogs Moki and Nari and many loving family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her younger sister Cathy Sue Hanna and father Don Hanna.
Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, Karin spent many a fun summer weekend at the family cabin at Johnson Lake, hanging with her siblings, cousins, water skiing and dominating at the card game “spoons.” In middle school, her family made the move to Fort Collins, CO. where she attended Fort Collins High School and later Colorado State University on a performing arts scholarship focusing on dance.
In 1975 she made the move to Steamboat Springs where she fell in love with the valley. Her great lifelong passion was dance. She attended dance workshops at Perry Mansfield countless summers and spent years dancing her heart out with the Steamboat Dance Theatre (and was among one of the earliest members). In 1977 she opened Rocky Mountain Dance in Hayden and then expanded to teaching in Craig and Steamboat. For almost forty years she taught the children of the Yampa Valley as “Miss Karin.” Every year she looked forward to teaching a new batch of three-year-olds the “Animal Crackers” dance, culminating in a fun community recital at the high school for all the kids to show off their moves. She cherished getting to teach the kids of kids as the years went on.
While in Steamboat, she also loved skiing, gardening, and spending time with her longtime friends, the “Playgroup” moms. For twenty-eight straight years, the Comeau family spent their summer vacation enjoying the majesty of Lake Powell, houseboating, camping, and water skiing. Karin especially loved to float on her pink raft, always with a colorful sun umbrella. It yielded countless memories, adventures (a Navajo canyon flash flood survival tale for one), friendships and “watermelon fights.” Memories that will last a lifetime.
In 2016, after forty years in Steamboat, she and Curt made the move to Grand Junction, CO. in search of a warmer climate. She still loved going skiing at nearby Powderhorn mountain, especially because her beloved dog of 16 years, Chuck, could wait close by in the car. Karin kept busy volunteering her time at both Heirlooms for Hospice and Roice-Hurst Humane Society, as well as spending time with all the wonderful friends she made in Grand Junction, even introducing them to “Witches Night Out.” And of course, her garden flourished under her diligent love and attention. Her irises were a remarkable sight! Karin was a force and her immense kindness and love touched everything and everyone around her. She will be deeply missed.
A celebration of Karin’s life will be planned in the coming months at the Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church in Steamboat Springs, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Karin’s name to Roice-Hurst Humane Society in Grand Junction.
Steamboat Pilot &Today - April 5, 2024
Karin Comeau passed away peacefully at her home in Grand Junction, CO. after a courageous battle with cancer. Her Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 27th at 2:00 pm MT, at the Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church (736 Oak St). A reception will follow.
For those that cannot join in person, the celebration will be streamed via the church’s website, http://www.heartofsteamboat.com.
