Karen Houghton was Kris Jenner’s younger sister and the mother of Natalie Zettel. Although she belonged to the extended Kardashian-Jenner family, her life was largely separate from the reality television business that made her relatives famous. She died unexpectedly on March 18, 2024, at age 65. Her family’s tributes and a later obituary provide a more personal account of her life than celebrity headlines alone.
Karen Houghton was Kris Jenner’s younger sister and the mother of Natalie Zettel. Born in 1958, she grew up in the San Diego area and largely remained outside her family’s reality television career. She died on March 18, 2024, at 65; her death certificate later identified cardiac causes.
Family Profile
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Karen Lee Houghton |
| Date of Birth | November 24, 1958 |
| Date of Death | March 18, 2024 |
| Age at Death | 65 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon and Robert Houghton |
| Famous Sister | Kris Jenner |
| Stepfather | Harry Shannon |
| Daughter | Natalie Zettel |
| Former Husband | Mark Zettel |
| Education | Studied at San Diego State University, according to reporting |
| Professional Background | Former flight attendant |
| Known For | Being Kris Jenner’s younger sister |
| Family Memorial | Held in April 2024 in the Los Angeles area |
Who Was Karen Houghton?
Karen Lee Houghton was the younger daughter of Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon, formerly Campbell, and Robert Houghton. Her older sister, Kris Jenner, became a television personality and manager, but Karen did not follow the same public career. She was occasionally photographed with relatives and discussed in entertainment coverage, yet much of her adult life unfolded away from cameras.
Her full name appears in the obituary published by La Jolla Light in July 2024. That family notice also identifies her daughter, former husband, and the relatives who organized her memorial. It adds detail to a life less documented than her sister’s.
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Early Life in Southern California
Karen was born on November 24, 1958, three years after Kris. The sisters grew up in the San Diego area. Their father, Robert True Houghton, died in 1975, according to Us Weekly. Their parents separated during their childhood, and their mother raised them largely on her own before marrying businessman Harry Shannon, whom Kris later described as an important father figure.
The family’s local roots were part of Karen’s story long before the Kardashians became a television phenomenon. Her published obituary records that she was among the homecoming queen candidates at La Jolla High School in 1975. It offers a small but specific glimpse of her teenage years rather than presenting her childhood only through Kris’s later fame.
Education, Work and Public Appearances
Us Weekly reported that Karen studied at San Diego State University, citing information from her own social media. Coverage of her death also described her as a former flight attendant. Reporting does not establish her complete work history or a degree.
Her public appearances tended to be occasional rather than part of a continuous media role. In November 2016, Inside Edition documented her decision to undergo a facelift and featured her discussing aspects of her appearance she wanted to change. A contemporaneous notice from the program’s distributor documented the interview. It establishes what Karen chose to share about that procedure, not a basis for speculation about additional cosmetic work or her private health.
Karen Houghton’s Husband and Daughter
Karen married Mark Zettel in 1996, according to Us Weekly, and the marriage ended in divorce in 2002. Their daughter, Natalie Zettel, was born in January 1998. Karen’s obituary identifies Natalie as her only daughter and describes Mark as someone who supported both Karen and Natalie.
Natalie became the relative who shared one of the most personal public responses to Karen’s death. In a March 2024 social media tribute reported by E! News, she called her mother her best friend and wrote about the shock of losing her so suddenly. Her words described Karen through years of motherhood, affection and everyday family life rather than through any connection to reality television.
The obituary similarly emphasized the mother-daughter relationship. Although searches sometimes refer to Karen Houghton’s “children” or “kids” in the plural, the established biographical record identifies one daughter, Natalie.
Karen Houghton and Kris Jenner’s Relationship
The sisters shared a family history but lived very different public lives. Kris built a career managing her children and appearing on television, while Karen was mostly known to viewers as a relative. Reports of tension between them appeared in the 2010s.
Us Weekly recounted remarks attributed to Karen in 2014 in which she expressed frustration that Kris did not return her calls. Those reports establish that tension was discussed publicly at the time; they cannot establish the complete state of a private sibling relationship over many years. A 2019 family Christmas photograph showed the sisters together with relatives, but a picture alone does not prove that every disagreement had been resolved.
Kris’s response after Karen died was unambiguous about her affection. She shared photographs spanning their lives and recalled her sister’s humor, sensitivity and care for loved ones. The tribute centered on their memories and their mother and niece, rather than revisiting disagreements from past headlines.
Her Connection to the Kardashian-Jenner Children
As Kris Jenner’s sister, Karen was the aunt of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian, as well as Kendall and Kylie Jenner. She was related to the family by birth through Kris, not through marriage to Robert Kardashian.
Kim Kardashian publicly remembered her aunt in March 2024, sharing older family photographs and a short expression of love. The pictures showed Karen with relatives long before their television fame. Her role as an aunt was real even when she was not part of the family’s television narrative.
When Did Karen Houghton Die, and What Was the Cause?
Karen died on Monday, March 18, 2024, at age 65. Kris announced the loss on March 19, saying it had happened unexpectedly. Early reports did not provide a definite medical explanation, a distinction that matters because those initial accounts still circulate online.
On April 12, 2024, TMZ reported that it had obtained her death certificate. The document listed cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrhythmia as her cause of death, with Type 2 diabetes recorded as a secondary underlying cause. Subsequent entertainment reporting repeated those findings. The certificate-based account is more specific than the early description of a sudden death, but it does not justify inventing a longer medical history.
Funeral and Family Memorial
Karen’s obituary states that Kris Jenner and family held a service and memorial in the Los Angeles area in April 2024. It also notes that Karen would rest at El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley, California, alongside her father and grandparents. Those published details establish that a family remembrance took place without requiring assumptions about a public funeral or private attendance list.
The obituary, published several months after her death, offered a perspective that breaking news could not. Its emphasis was on Karen’s sense of humor, her ties to relatives and friends, and her relationship with Natalie.
How Her Family Remembered Her
Kris’s March 2024 tribute described Karen as warm, funny and grateful for the people in her life. Natalie’s account emphasized generosity and the closeness they shared as mother and daughter. Neither tribute presented Karen primarily as a celebrity; both described someone whose importance to them was personal.
In November 2025, Kris again publicly honored her sister on what would have been Karen’s 67th birthday. She shared family pictures and wrote that she thought of Karen every day.
What Is Known About Her Net Worth?
Online searches frequently pair Karen’s name with estimates of wealth, but established reporting does not provide a reliable, independently verified figure for her personal net worth. Her relationship to an affluent and famous family is not evidence that she owned the same assets or received a particular inheritance. Assigning a dollar amount without documentary support would confuse a celebrity association with Karen’s individual financial circumstances.
Conclusion
Karen Houghton was more than a distant name on the Kardashian-Jenner family tree. The record establishes her upbringing in Southern California, her marriage to Mark Zettel, her daughter Natalie, and her death in March 2024. Her family’s own words, together with her obituary, provide the clearest account of how she was remembered: as a sister, mother, aunt and loved member of a family whose private history extended well beyond television.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How old was Karen Houghton when she died?
Karen Houghton was 65 years old when she died on March 18, 2024. She was born on November 24, 1958, and was approximately three years younger than her sister, Kris Jenner.
2. How did Karen Houghton die?
Karen Houghton’s death certificate, as reported by TMZ in April 2024, listed cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrhythmia as the causes of death. Type 2 diabetes was also recorded as a secondary underlying cause.
3. Did Karen Houghton have any children?
Yes. Karen Houghton had one publicly documented daughter, Natalie Zettel, born in January 1998. Natalie shared an emotional tribute following her mother’s death, describing their close relationship and the impact of her sudden loss.
4. Who was Karen Houghton’s husband?
Karen Houghton was previously married to Mark Zettel. According to Us Weekly, they married in 1996 and divorced in 2002. Mark was also the father of their daughter, Natalie Zettel.
5. When was Karen Houghton’s funeral held?
According to her obituary published by La Jolla Light, a family service and memorial for Karen Houghton took place in the Los Angeles area in April 2024. The obituary also identified El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley, California, as her intended resting place.
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