Karen is a graduate of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), Berkeley, California. She earned her doctorate at Union Theological Seminary, New York. She has been director for studies in the Division for Church in Society of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and work with Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, Switzerland on church and society issues. Karen also was a part-time associate professor of theological ethics at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Karen served a term as Dean and Chief Administrative Officer at PLTS.

Bill was married to Karen Bloomquist. He earned degrees from San Francisco State and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkley.

Bill died November, 2016.