Karen M. DeLuccie, 64, of Independence, MO, joined her parents and grandparents in paradise on April 12, 2022. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family after battling cancer. Karen was born in Dunmore, PA on March 4, 1958 to Thomas and Mary Bewick DeLuccie and grew up in Scranton, PA with her two sisters, Mary DeLuccie and Patti DeLuccie Schmidt. The DeLuccie girls attended St. Paul’s, where Karen met her future husband, Joseph O’Hara, in first grade. She and Joe then went to Bishop Hannan High School and graduated in 1976, with Karen as her class president. She then moved to Blue Springs, MO, and completed the 6-year undergraduate and JD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Karen graduated in 1982 and would later return as an Adjunct Professor at UMKC Law School. Joe joined Karen in Missouri, and the two married in 1995. They were blessed with two children, Thomas Joseph O’Hara and MaryRose O’Hara – the pride and joy of Karen’s life. Karen has spent her 40 year legal career in Independence Square, practicing law as a specialist in family law. She was a partner at Paden, Welch, Martin and Albano for 20 years, then partnered with her husband at their firm, DeLuccie & O’Hara Law Offices, LLC, for its final 20 years. Karen was a member and past president of the Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a co-founder of the Independence Youth Court, and a mentor to many young lawyers. She was also a trained mediator and was appointed by judges to serve as an ad litem guardian for hundreds of children whose parents struggled to deal with the tensions of ongoing divorce cases. She was an AV-rated attorney (the highest possible rating), with an impeccable reputation for professionalism and integrity. But perhaps the greatest achievement of her legal career came when she helped draft and pass the law that created the Missouri Family Court, signed by then-Governor Mel Carnahan. . The act completely transformed the family law court system to the benefit of all parties by streamlining divorce and child custody cases. The parties in these cases may not have known Karen, but through her efforts, their experience in the court system has been made much more efficient and less traumatic. Karen has also taken on several roles to serve her community. She had been a member of the Independence City Council since 2014. Karen truly loved her city and her constituents, to whom she gave nothing less than dedicated and caring service. She also served for 17 years on the Independence City Planning Commission prior to her election to City Council and was a member of the Independence Square Tax Board, a Trustee of Gold Bank, and for 8 years was a Program Director advanced reading at his children’s school, Messiah Lutheran, in Independence. Karen has lived by two beliefs: ‘You’ll be surprised at how much can be done when no one cares who gets the credit’ and ‘Everyday is a gift’, which is written on a sign hanging above the kitchen table from her. residence. Those who knew Karen know that every day with her was a real gift. She was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Mary, her grandparents, Frank and Geneva Craig DeLuccie, and Edward and Florence Coan Bewick. She is survived by her husband, Joe, her children, Thomas and MaryRose, her sister Patti DeLuccie Schmidt, St. Charles, MO, her sister Mary DeLuccie and her husband, Rick Scheidt, Manhattan, KS, her beloved niece Hannah LaBelle and her husband, Francis LaBelle, Chicago, and nephews Ron and Robert Schmidt, St. Louis, MO, and Eric and Nicholas Scheidt, Manhattan, KS. A visitation will be held April 19, 2022 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Independence, with a Rosary service from 5-5:30 p.m. Reception of family and friends will be from 5:30-8 p.m. . Service provided by Parle de la funeral chapel. A funeral mass will be held on April 20, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at Saint-Marc Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Karen’s name to: Independence Police Foundation, C/O Truman Heartland Community Foundation, 4200 Little Blue Pkwy #340, Independence, MO 64057; Bingham Wagoner Historical Society, 313 W. Pacific Ave., Independence, MO 64050; Vaile Victorian Society, 1500 N Liberty St., Independence, MO 64050