Friends, family, lawmakers and staffers gathered Wednesday for a memorial to Karen Coates, the former chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), who passed away last week, calling her a fiercely intelligent professional who balanced her work with a love of her family.
Coates, who served as Turzai’s chief and legal counsel since he ascended to the Speakership in 2015, died last Thursday following a brief illness.