Karen Ann Green

Karen Green ObituaryPublished by Legacy on Mar. 9, 2026.Karen Ann Green, passed away on Friday, February 20th, 2026, at the age of 78 in Austin, Texas. Born Karen Ann McGivern on December 27th, 1947, in Moline, Illinois, to Parlan "Packy" and Nancy "Pearl" (McDonald), baptized and raised within Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. She spent the majority of her life in the Quad Cities, on both the Illinois and Iowa sides. A Celebration of Life was held to honor Karen/Nani in the first week following her passing at a family dinner at favorite restaurant, Steiner Ranch, Texas. The family was of deep Irish farming heritage from Marengo, Iowa, where Karen will join her parents at a future burial ceremony.Karen was the youngest of six – four brothers, Kenneth, Parlan "Leo," Wayne, and Duncan, plus a sister, Francis "Babe" (Hoover). She was raised on a hobby farm in Silvis, Illinois, connected to the many acres of Deere & Company – so it was a Norman Rockwell midwestern country upbringing with animals, riding horses, being chased by geese and large family gatherings. The family commented that they had to put bells on her because she never sat still, and was always into everything, and off to somewhere on the farm. Karen's young years included showing horses in barrel racing, was a sophisticated roller skater known for aerial and dance moves, plus much more. It was a blessed childhood.Karen had the advantage of traveling the United States with her father who was a Rock Island railroad engineer, and continued to travel as often as she could throughout her life. She lived in Illinois, California, Iowa, Florida and Texas. World travels took her to Mexico, Canada, France, Austria, Germany, Netherlands and England.Karen graduated high school at 16 years of age, put herself through two years of nursing college in one year , completed her bachelor's degree from Mary Crest University - to go straight on to a Master's in Nursing Science at St. Ambrose University. She began her nursing career at the Illinois state psychiatric hospital, moving to the emergency room and floor nurse for various Quad Cities hospitals. Karen was also a professor of nursing, having taught for Black Hawk Community College and a private Lutheran Nursing College. She specialized as a professor of nursing psychology, law, and clinic. She eventually established Ability Medical Staffing, in 1980. Karen was very proud that her company was bought out by a larger corporation, as they considered her "too much competition." She fully retired in 1993, moving to Ft. Myers, Florida, in 2001, where she spent her retirement years.Karen was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother (Nani), and great-grandmother . She had two daughters, Kristi Ann and Karen Annette Cain, which brought her two granddaughters, Kiann Annette and Kailin Pearl, and a grandson, Tommy Lee Goforth. She married Jack Sherman Green in 1980, where she and her husband shared a love for boating the Mississippi. The family expanded to include step-daughter, Linda, and step-son, John Green. The couple made Davenport, Iowa, their home, and spent much time and family outings boating on the Mississippi as members of the Lindsey Park Yacht Club.Karen had many interests, with fine dining as her and her husband's greatest official hobby – long before "foodies" was ever a thing. The "dining experience" was intentional and an art for them, which bonded friendships with the owners of many a restaurant – their favorite of all time being Le Figaro of Rock Island. Her children and grandchildren dined in some of the greatest restaurants and are some of the fondest memories. Karen treasured her time dining with their dear friends – The Great Eight – in Florida.Karen, personally, was an avid project person, having been raised by a generation of seamstress aunts who taught her many talents from sewing, refinishing, upholstering, building and more. There was nothing that she could not do – perfectly. As she often said, "there's a book for everything" so she found a way. She was the queen of research, and would cite statistics constantly. She studied design as a personal interest, which brought an eclectic style of Baroque meets Art Deco with a sense of humor as you often found faces in her design taste. Everything had movement in her home, and always looked like a copy of Architectural Digest. She had style – in her home, clothing, and personally.An avid cyclist in her retirement years, Karen was a member of multiple cycling clubs, and tour riding – to include having ridden Ragbrai (Iowa) for a decade. She was ever so proud to assist with the Quad Cities Bicycling Club, and was a founder of Team Iowa Ducks - creating feather helmets for each of her teammates. Cycling accomplishments also included riding through mountains and into Canada, plus many a tailwind ride with a women's cycling group.Karen was known for her dry humor, which she inherited from her mother. She loved pets, and had many over her life – and was known for naming them with unique humor. Also, she loved red sporty cars – from her red mustang, to her red RX, to a British (Green) Racing Jaguar. Although, she always drove one mile under the speed limit – if the car was red! It was about style, not speed, for her.In her final days and time, Karen/Mom/Nani, moved to Texas. She enjoyed her family, lunching, and traveling to the East Coast to spend Christmas and birthday. She passed ever so peacefully at home, with her family by her side.Karen's Life Achievements & Organizations ~Graduated Phi Theta Kappa, Associates in Science, Blackhawk College 1973American Business Women Association Scholarship, 1971-73Graduated with Honors, Bachelor of Science, Marycrest College, July 1976Instructor, Blackhawk College and Lutheran School of NursingAssistant Chief Nurse & Instructor, East Moline State HospitalMaster's Degree, Nursing Science, St. Ambrose University, 1979Professor of Nursing Law, Psychology, and ClinicFounded Ability Medical Staffing, 1980Member, Lindsey Park Yacht Club, 1975 – 2001Member, Davenport Dining Club, 1975 – 2001US Coast Guard Auxiliary, March 1987Member, Quad Cities Bicycle Club, 1990 – 2001Fully retired, 1993Member, Quad Cities Iowa Early Ducks, 1993 – 2001Member, Women on Wheels/Tailwind Rides, 1993 – 2001Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, 2014 – 2020President's Volunteer Service Award, Corp. for Ntl. Community Service, 2014A Prayer for Nurses ~We invite you to pray for nurses around the world who bring comfort and care to those in most need:O loving and compassionate God,we thank you for dedicated nurses.These women and men show such compassion, expertise,and trust. We pray that the Lord will send Saint Agatha of Sicily,patron saint of nurses, to watch over each of them andtheir loved ones as they watch over us.AmenLegacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. Visit our funeral home directory for more local information, or see our FAQ page for help with finding obituaries and sending sympathy.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.