Karen Roberta Baldini

Karen Roberta Baldini-Alves, age 70, of Merlin died November 17, 2023 at her home.

Karen was born May 1, 1953 in North Hollywood, California to Lillian Faussett and grew up in Moorpark, California.  When she finished school, she married Virgil Peacock and moved to Grants Pass.  They had four children before she and Virgil parted ways in 1981.  A few years later she met Irving Baldini and they married on July 11, 1987.  Shortly after, they purchased Merlin Pizza.  After Irving passed in 1997, Karen put 150% into the restaurant.  She changed the name to Baldini’s Family Restaurant and introduced a whole new menu.  Karen proudly ran the restaurant for over 30 years with her family before her retirement in 2019.

On July 15, 2000 she married Rick Alves.  They enjoyed vacationing in their camp trailer and then their motor coach.  They toured the United States in 2007 going to Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and even the Dinosaur Thermopolis Museum.  She camped in the shadow of Mount St Helens with her kids and grandkids.  After her retirement, and a bit before, she and Rick became snowbirds spending winters in Yuma, Arizona.

Karen loved her community and would help anybody, anyway she could.  From holding auctions and raffles at Christmas time to helping out needy families.  One year she helped 26 families, handpicking one of the gifts for each child, because that’s the kind of person she was. She organized an Easter egg hunt at Merlin Park for 20 years for the kids of Merlin; fed hungry wildland firefighters; and had a large raffle and auction every summer to raise money for Rogue Valley Humane Society.

Her most rewarding part of life was becoming a Nonnie.  Her first grandchild Devon was born in 1999 and she was blessed with many grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Karen loved gardening and could name just about any flower you showed her.  She had a crazy love for shelter dogs, adopting so many.  In the last few years, she had wanted to adopt older dogs so they would feel loved at the end stage of their lives.  Because that’s just the kind of wonderful amazing gracious loving person she was.

Survivors include her husband Richard Alves of Merlin; three daughters Alice Skiles of Merlin, Heather Ivy of Grants Pass and Leigh-Anna (Todd Robinson) Peacock of Merlin; son Michael Peacock of Eagle Point; grandchildren, Devon Skiles, Megan Skiles, Taylor Ivy, Kaitlynn Ivy, Braydon Ivy, Claire Peacock, and Abbagayle Robinson; great-grandchildren Jax Roo, Melody Roo and Atticus Ivy; and two brothers Ron (Patti) Fausset of Thousand Oaks, California and Greg Faussett of Merlin, Oregon.

She was preceded in death by her mother; husband Irving Baldini; and daughter-in-law Desiree Peacock.

A celebration of life will be at 3p.m., Sunday, December 3, 2023 at Merlin Community Baptist Church.  

Remembrances may be made to Rogue Valley Humane Society.

Please share a memory of Karen in her Guestbook below.