Karen Carlene “KC” Heller
Karen Carlene “KC” Heller, 47, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, April 14, 2021. She was born in Bay City the daughter of Carl David Heller and Jolene Kay Voorhees Heller. She was a devoted mother to Emma and a loving wife to Colleen.
KC received a degree of Associate in Arts from Alpena Community College in 1994, and a Bachelor of Science in human services from Lake Superior State University in 1997. She devoted her early work to Native Americans with disabilities and early head start. KC was a Girl Scout camp counselor, volunteer at an animal shelter, and spent time traveling abroad, including a three-month stay in England, UK.
KC joined the U.S. Army in 1999 and served as a specialist of the 403rd Transportation Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She was the recipient of The Army Achievement Medal and The Good Conduct Medal. She completed several transportation courses, including the Cargo Specialist Course, and would tell those closest to her that she could successfully maneuver a 30-foot crane to pick up a Hummer to place on a ship. KC received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 2002. She began working at Duke University Medical Center in 2002 with plastic surgery service and then with GI/hepatology research. In 2008, she worked as a clinical research coordinator with the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank (CCBB) and then as a research analyst for the Marcus Center for Cellular Cures (MC3) at Duke University Medical Center. In addition to her parents, KC is survived by her beloved wife, Dr. Colleen McLaughlin; her beloved daughter, Emma Arlene Heller; a brother, Michael “Mac” (Brenda) Heller; an uncle, Richard “Dick” (Judy) Voorhees; aunts, Marilyn (Don) Schaedig and Ellen (Boyd) Haut; cousins, Lisa (Mike) Grenier and James (Kendra) Schaedig, Heidi (Alex) Haneberg and Brett (Donna) Voorhees; sisters-in-law, Kathleen Pharris, Eileen McLaughlin and Maureen (John) Dayton; brothers-in-law, Michael McLaughlin and Mathew McLaughlin; a nephew, Jared Dayton; a niece, Christina Pharris; and many other beloved family members, dear friends and co-workers.
KC possessed many passions and hidden talents. She was fond of good cuisine and often expressed her opinion as an amateur food critic. She loved home redecorating and renovations. She was passionate about animal rescue, and adored a special whippet rescue (Spencer) with whom she had the tightest of bonds. KC was a resourceful shopper and would often enthusiastically share her latest bargain find. She was a co
KC’s most fervent hope was that kindness could change the world.
The family is waiting a determination to see if her unexpected death was caused by a blood clot resulting from her recent COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) vaccination.
A celebration of KC’s life was held Wednesday, April 21, at Clements Funeral Chapel, Durham, North Carolina with the Rev. Kelly Carpenter officiating. The family received friends April 20 and 21 prior to the service. Military honors were presented by the United States Army National Guard.