Our dear sweet sister, aunt, friend and companion passed away suddenly due to complications from surgery on December 24, 2010. She now is out of pain and will be greeted by her father, mother and brother. Kari was born on July 3rd, 1948 in St. Peter, Minnesota, being the first born to Dr. Robert T & Nettie M Benson. She was raised in Ogden, Utah. She graduated cum laude from Weber State College in 1970 with a bachelor degree in sociology. She later earned a masters degree in Family and Human Development at Utah State University. Soon after, she and her first husband moved to Idaho Falls; and since then, she has resided there. For the last 26 years, she has been with the love of her life, Steven Moon. Kari will be remembered for her lust for life and always being the life of the party. She was very thoughtful, with a big heart and always willing to do anything for anybody. She was always cheerful, filling the room with laughter and joy. She showed interest in everyone and had a way to make a person feel very important and special. She was always there to give you advice when you needed it and even when you didn't. Kari had an opinion on everything and she did not hold back on giving it to you. She loved a good argument, especially when she won. Kari was one of 3 sisters and we had our traditions that we always looked forward to. It is ironic that we lost her on Christmas Eve as this was the biggest time of the year for tradition. Our mother taught us that friends come and go but in Kari's case, she had many very close long time friends that she loved and enjoyed and they loved her. Kari was so creative. She could take something that one might consider garbage and turn it into something beautiful. Through her life, she channeled this talent through crafts of all kinds from jewelry, weavings, floral arrangements, her yard, her house and more. Kari came from a family of music. Her mother chose the piano for her to play and she mastered it well. She was the accompanist to our Mother's singing and many family gatherings. Later, Kari chose the guitar as her favorite instrument giving many years of enjoyment. In high school, she enjoyed playing the guitar in a folk group. Kari has worked for the Idaho State Industrial Commission for the last 25 years serving many citizens of Idaho. She was very committed and dedicated to her job and the people she served. Kari did a lot of reading and formulated her belief on the life hereafter. She had a strong faith in God and we hope that it will be as beautiful as she believed. Kari is survived by her long time companion Steven Moon, her two sisters, Jodi Benson and Randi (Tom) Jackson, her Uncle Jay (Colleen) Oberg and her Uncle Donald Benson. Although Kari never had children, she was a second mother to her nieces and nephews Jayson, Bjorn, & Karah Kennedy and Robert G Benson & Briana Udink. Kari is also survived by her soul sisters April (Chic) Jensen, Linda (Ryan) Rumsey, Linda (Pete) Nielsen, and her very good friend, Carol (Ron) Averill. She is preceded in death by her father, mother and her brother, Robert S Benson. Per Kari's request a formal funeral will not be held; however, we will be holding a Celebration of her life January 15th, 2011 at Coltrin Mortuary at 1 pm. At a later date, her remains will be taken to one of her favorite places -Jackson Hole. She will be memorialized in the Ogden Cemetery with her parents.