Karen Muccino, Longtime Los Alamitos Resident, Dies At 60

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Karen Ann Muccino, a beloved daughter, sister, aunt and friend to many, died Monday, March 23, unexpectedly in her sleep at her mother’s Los Alamitos home, where she lived for the majority of her life. She was 60.

Karen was born on December 3, 1959, to Marlene and John Muccino in Waterbury, Connecticut. Her family moved to California in 1970, and she lived in her parents’ Los Alamitos home ever since.

She went to Oak Middle School, where she was a cheerleader (and must have been a great one because she remembered her cheers through adulthood). She then attended Los Alamitos High School, where she graduated in 1977. After high school, Karen graduated from Cypress College's licensed vocational nursing program.

Karen worked at a long-term rehabilitation center for patients with traumatic brain injuries, and she made lasting, emotional connections with her patients. She then worked at FHP as an LVN in their outpatient urology clinic before being promoted to the contracting department. She became a contract negotiator for Multiplan and with PacifiCare Health Systems, now United Healthcare, where she worked at through her first open-heart surgery, eventually going on long-term disability in 2015.

Though she helped so many through her work in the medical industry, it was one-on-one where she shined.

When I was little, I frequently said, “I want to be like Auntie Karen when I grow up.” She was beautiful, of course, but what impressed me the most was her generosity, fierce passion for life, her quirky sense of humor and her undeniable strength.

Karen taught me so many life lessons just by existing in the world, the most important being to always savor the small moments. Thanks to her, I still remember the taste of homemade bread from a French restaurant we ate at years ago because she drew my attention to the way it melted in our mouths.

After her battle with breast cancer and a double mastectomy, she visited me in San Luis Obispo, where I attended college. With a renewed hope, she wanted to whip around on ATVs at the sand dunes and zip-line over wineries, but I was hesitant — heights and adrenaline are not in my wheelhouse.

Even so, she pushed me out of my comfort zone when I needed it most — because she loved feeling alive. I’ll never forget the rush I felt that day and the laughs that ensued over a bottle of red wine (a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon was her favorite) at dinner.

Most people would first describe Karen as generous. My sister Alyssa and I had childhoods riddled with serendipitous overnight trips, days spent lugging shopping bags around the mall, and extravagant dinners (thanks to Karen, we knew how to pronounce filet mignon at a young age). Even though her nephew Neil lovingly nicknamed her “Money Bags” from all the spoiling she did, her generosity extended well beyond the monetary kind. She was generous with her time, volunteering to be a Sunday School teacher for many years at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Long Beach, which she attended weekly. She was generous with her advice, like any good Italian woman is. But most of all, she was generous with the love she gave to others — from heartfelt handwritten cards at each holiday, to ensuring every waiter she ever had knew they were appreciated.

Karen’s two biggest loves of her life were her parents. Her father lovingly called her “Nicky,” and the trio would go on vacations, cook meals together and enjoy each other’s company. After her father passed in 2004, she became the main caretaker for her mother, handling everything with grace from bills to medications and daily tasks up until her last days on earth.

Karen would want me to let you know she was a “foodie” but not a pretentious one. She loved tapas restaurants and was always up for a high-quality steak, but she also loved midnight runs to Jack in the Box, or a sneaky Big Mac (sans salt on the patties) in between medical procedures. She reveled in a flavorful reduction sauce and logged countless marathons of Food Network shows.

Karen spent much of her free time traveling — she loved to ski, but the handful of times she visited Italy brought her the ultimate joy. Her favorite memories were those when she stayed in small villages in Tuscany, taking breezy bike rides through winding hills and walking to the markets to pick up fresh ingredients before getting cooking lessons from her hosts.

She was extravagant and meticulous. Christmas trees were always 9 feet tall and dressed to perfection, and all 700 of her yearly trick-or-treaters got king-sized candy bars. When we were young, my sister Alyssa and I had an interest in making movies, so sleepovers often consisted of long days scripting and shooting short films with full-blown productions (Grandma always played along too).

Karen was, and always will be, incredibly loved by her family and friends. We will honor her memory by starting every family party at 2 p.m., following her gravy recipe every Thanksgiving and her bread recipe every Easter (which she perfected from recipes her mother taught her), and by being generous with our time, advice (like a good Italian family), and our love to others in her remembrance.

She is survived by her mother Marlene Muccino, sisters Donna Prochnow, Lori Abu-Dayyeh and Debra Holland, and brother John Muccino, as well as her nephew Neil Prochnow, nieces Emily Holland, Alyssa Holland and Misa Prochnow, and grandnephew Samuel Prochnow.

A family-only graveside burial will be held Tuesday, March 31, at All Souls Mortuary in Long Beach, California. A formal funeral will be held at a later time, once coronavirus restrictions have lifted.