Memorial
Karla J. Anton, 61, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on May 16, 2025. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories. Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM, Wednesday, May 28th at Cedar Memorial Chapel Stateroom.
Karla was born on August 5, 1963, in Minneapolis, MN, the daughter of Rose F. (Kneeland) Brockman and Arnold G (Arnie B.) Brockman. Karla spent her early years moving with her parents from place to place as Arnie’s work dictated. As she approached middle school the family finally settled in Cedar Rapids, which would become her home for the rest of her life.
She attended parochial school, attending St. Matthews and then Regis. She decided to transfer to Cedar Rapids Washington her senior year because she met someone.
Karla and Andy started dating in the fall of 1980, Karla was a Senior and Andy was a year behind. This began a romance that would span the next 45 years.
When it came to her career, Karla chose the Travel Industry and attended the McConnel Travel School in Minneapolis. She had a job waiting for her upon graduation and spent the next 20 years in the industry. She became a Certified Travel Consultant (CTC, post graduate designation) and rose to manage a corporate travel department for the fourth largest agency in the country. At one point she oversaw four offices and had 30 travel consultants reporting to her.
Changes in the travel industry dictated a career change, and Karla transitioned into being a certified bra fitter for a company that specialized in women’s shape wear. Again, Karla excelled at her chosen profession and over the next twenty years she would help thousands of women feel better about how they looked. She became a Director with her company and shared with many other women how she was able to build a business from scratch by providing exemplary service to her customers.
When Karla wasn’t working, she and Andy loved to entertain friends and family. They remodeled their home to accommodate hosting the Holidays. It just worked out that the home was now perfect for the random party.
Karla also loved to travel. She was able to visit Europe multiple times, Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. She and Andy also enjoyed traveling with friends and family. These adventures were mostly to follow the Iowa Hawkeyes. Karla attended well over 200 home football games and was an expert at finding the best supper club to visit while traveling to an away game. Karla also was a Skol Sister and supported the Minnesota Vikings often to the chagrin of her Packer loving cousins.
Probably Karla’s second biggest love was her cats. Her cats all knew they had lucked out by having her as their owner.
Karla loved meeting new people and always saw the good side of a person. She enjoyed life to the fullest and has left a giant void that will never be filled.
The family would like to thank their own personal Florence Nightengale, Carol Pitlik Ekstrand, who dropped everything to help with Karla’s care over the past five months. Karla could not have spent this time with a better friend.
Survivors include her husband and soulmate, Andy of Cedar Rapids; Sister and brother-in-law, Pegi & Alex Anton of Cedar Rapids and their children Katharine (Taylor) Anton-Johnson of Hudson, WI, and Cassia Anton of Cedar Rapids and Brother in Law Alan Anton of Cedar Rapids; and his children Marissa Anton of Cedar Rapids, and Logan (Sam) Anton of Cedar Rapids; Karla also leaves behind her beloved cats, Beau, Louie, Stella, Zuzu, and Pippa.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Rose Brockman and Arnold Brockman; parents-in-law Margaret and Duane Anton; and sister-in-law, Mary Breitbach Anton.
Cats: Boo Boo, Priscila, Baily, Marley, Sammy the Bull, Lucy and Gertie - (Step Cats-Maggie, Zoey, Mr. Bill and Fluff Muffin)