Jaynne Katherine Karels (Levi) - 1952-2026

Loving Wife, Mother and Sister - Jaynne Katherine Karels (Levi), 73, of Duluth, Minnesota, passed gently into the next plane of January 18th, 2026, after being diagnosed with leukemia in June, 2025.

She was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1952 to Margaret Levi (Pedretti) & Alvin Levi, who were loving and nurturing parents. She grew up in Genoa, Wisconsin, a quiet village nestled along the beautiful bluffs of the Mississippi river. She attended Saint Charles School in Genoa and Saint George High School in Lansing, Iowa, before studying nursing at Milwaukee Area Technical School and Rochester South Junior College. Jaynne became a Registered Nurse in 1973, working at St. Mary’s Hospital (Rochester, MN), Rochester Methodist Hospital, and Immanuel-Saint Joseph Hospital (later Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato, MN), retiring in 2008. She was an RN for over three decades and dedicated her life to the compassionate care of people experiencing illness and in need of rehabilitation.

Jaynne met the love of her life, John (Lamont) Karels in 1978 in Mankato, MN. Ecstatic to grow their new lives together, the two were married in 1981. Jaynne and John lovingly brought into the world their son, Steven, in 1984. Jaynne & John resided in North Mankato, MN before retiring and moving to Apache Junction, AZ, and eventually moving to Duluth, MN in 2012.

Jaynne loved nature and the outdoors, and she enjoyed hiking in Lakeside and walking on the beach in Park Point, going for long drives along Lake Superior, helping in the community vegetable garden, listening to music (live and on the radio), creating delicious dishes and baking, and spending quality time with her family - John, Steve & Steve’s loving life partner Diona. Jaynne also spent time volunteering in the community and enjoyed relaxing in local eateries and coffee shops with friends and family.

Jaynne will always be remembered for the gentle kindness that she embodied, her warm smile and tender heart. We couldn’t have asked for a better Wife, Mom & Sister, and will miss Jaynne every day. Her love and energy will live on in the hearts of all those who loved her, and will continue to fill the Universe forever.

Jaynne was preceded in death by her parents Margaret Levi (Pedretti) & Alvin Levi, sisters Donna Yttri, Geraldine Wolfe Sherry, Shirley Rabon, and brother Douglas Levi; she is survived by husband John (Lamont) Karels, son Steven Karels, brother Richard “Dick” Levi, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, March 20th, 2026 - 1:00-3:00 PM - at Cremation Society of Minnesota - First Memorial Funeral Chapel, 4100 Grand Avenue, Duluth, MN. A private family ceremony in Lake Crystal, MN will take place in May, 2026.