Karen Jean Mawhinney

Karen J. Mawhinney, 75, of Burlington, WI, a life-long seeker of truth and justice, passed away on Sunday, August 1, 2021 at the Burlington Memorial Hospital. A beloved daughter, loving sister, caring aunt and cousin, cherished friend and esteemed colleague. In 1968, Karen graduated from UW Madison with a B.S. in journalism. From 1968-1979, Karen was employed at Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV as reporter, editor, news producer, and executive news producer. As such, she was a woman pioneer in the TV broadcast newsroom. In 1982, Karen received her JD from Stetson University College of Law in Florida. From 1982-1987 she was a labor case analyst and newsletter publisher at CCH in Labor Law Reports. From 1987-2008, Karen was employed by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) as a mediator, arbitrator, and hearing examiner. Following her retirement from that agency, Karen entered private practice as a grievance and interest arbitration arbitrator, joining the WERC and FMCS rosters of ad hoc arbitrators. She brought maturity, common sense, business acumen, good-humor, plain speaking, and a strong work ethic to her dispute resolution work. Throughout her career, she was highly regarded and widely respected, both by management and labor. Her extremely effective dispute resolution skills, the clarity and fairness of her decisions, and her exceptional understanding of human nature marked both her work and her life. As she progressed from avid tennis player to avid spectator of pro tennis, Karen's "Do Not Disturb" sign was firmly in place during the Grand Slam championship broadcasts. Her passion for tennis was eclipsed by her love for her many canine friends. Karen had an extreme passion for dogs, especially Labrador retrievers. She always had a great looking dog with a good work ethic. She was a partner in Dale Creek Gundogs for 20 years where she strived to enhance those traits. She ran hunt tests and successfully titled several dogs. She trained side by side with Tom Waites. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Lye T. and Jansina Mawhinney. She is survived by her sister Jewel Reichert, brother Douglas Mawhinney, one niece Quinn, three nephews, Doug, Luke, Isaac, two great nieces, Molly and Emma. Private family services were held at the funeral home. Lazarczyk Family Funeral Homes, Betzer Chapel of Delavan, WI is proudly serving the family. Service Details.