Karen Helene Dunne was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 19, 1964. She is the third child and second daughter of Paul and Helene Dunne. While the Dunnes moved around in Karen's early years, they joined the budding community in Plantation in 1969-- and it is ultimately where Karen lived most of her life. She and three out of four of her siblings attended Mirror Lake Elementary, Plantation Middle School, and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School together. For post-secondary education, Karen went back to Massachusetts and attended Bridgewater College. It is here that she earned a Master's degree in Aviation and followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a pilot. Flying became one of her greatest passions in life, and is considered by her daughters as one of her greatest achievements. Only six percent of women in the world are pilots, and she was one of them. In the nineties, she was employed by Big Cypress National Reserve as one of their pilots for their Florida Panther trackings. Additionally, she was on their Hurricane Andrew Rescue Team. When the sky no longer called to her, she landed on the sea and worked in logistics for Princess Cruises up until taking an early retirement in 2022. Throughout her life, numerous people regarded Karen as a deeply compassionate, loving person. She was always more than happy to help anyone in need. Her love for her daughters, Jessica and Julia, knew no bounds. The three of them lived in Plantation across the street from her parents. The five of them were a happy family. She took care of both her parents in their final days, and they precede her in death. Karen went home to Heaven on May 3, 2026 at the age of 61. She is survived by her daughters Jessica Costa and Julia Costa, her four siblings Christine Zucker, Robert Dunne, Richard "John" Dunne and Andrew Dunne, her paternal aunt Patricia Ann Hickey, and her maternal aunts Jean Foster, Jane Blanchfield, Janet Richardson, and Patricia Cahalane-Whipple. She also is survived by thirteen nieces and nephews as well as her great-nieces and great-nephews. In lieu of flowers, it would be immensely appreciated by the daughters if people would donate to the costs of Karen's services. The link to the GoFundMe can be found here.

Jessica and Julia would also appreciate any personal photos from Karen's friends to be sent to either one of them via Facebook Messenger. They would love to include your memories of her in the tribute slide show. Thank you!