Karen Lillian (Brzuchalski) Otto, 56

MILES CITY, Mont. - Karen Lillian (Brzuchalski) Otto, of Miles City and Reno, Nev., died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, at the Billings Clinic. She was 56.

Karen was born Nov. 7, 1951, in Baltimore, daughter of Melvin and Florence (Ordakowski) Brzuchalski.

Raised in a large and loving Polish family, she attended parochial schools in Glen Burnie, Md., and the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

Karen had a long and illustrious career with the U.S. government, including stints with the Internal Revenue Service, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and the U.S. Foreign Service.

Most recently she worked as consultant to the government, helping to develop judicial procedures for newly democratic countries, a job that took her to many corners of the world.

Karen married Dr. Robert G. Otto on Dec. 12, 1982, in Baltimore. They lived in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Cambridge, Md., Key West, Fla., Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Ukiah, Calif., before moving to Reno, and were in the process of moving to Miles City when her illness struck.

Karen was a member of the Catholic church as well as numerous civic and social organizations.

She enjoyed gardening and animals of all types and raised her own sheep and chickens as a hobby.

Karen was an active devotee of garage and rummage sales and liked to renovate old houses in her spare time.

She loved to travel and managed to see a great deal of the world in her brief lifetime. She leaves friends and colleagues in many countries.

She was preceded in death by her father.

Karen is survived by her husband, Bob; her mother, Florence; stepdaughter, Leslie (Collings); stepsons, George and Jeffrey; a brother, David; sisters, Lisa (Migliorisi) and Gail (Stinchcomb); and numerous other family memebrs.

A funeral service will be 4 p.m. Tuesday in Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home, Miles City.

A second service will be 11 a.m. at St. Phillip Neri in Linthicum, Md.

Instead of flowers, the family would appreciate a Mass card or a donation to the Salvation Army or to the charity of one's choice.