Patricia Lynch (Young)

It was a real privilege to have lunch with Karen, Patti Pearl Urbanek and Nancy Holm Lofye on a warm sunny day in Florida, December of 2012.  As we had all responded to the organization of the 50 Year Reunion of the Custer Class of 1963, and the 4 of us lived within an hours' drive of each other, lunch seemed like a good way to reconnect. . .just 49 years since we had been classmates ( meeting earlier at Hampton Elementary School).  It was touch and go for several days before our lunch date, as Karen's first grandchild was expected momentarily.  Little Aria arrived the day before, although Karen had made herself available for several false alarms earlier.  Amid all the excitement of her first grandchild's birth, Karen made the time and effort to show up for lunch and we were grateful.  Lunch stretched out till four o'clock and now I am sorry to say it was the last time I got to see Karen.  Karen's calm and insightful observations let us know she had grown wisely and was content with the life she had chosen.  Just one more lovely phone call and now she is gone, but her kind memory lives on.

Sally Somodi (Strand)

I was devastated to hear of Karen's passing.  She was always kind to all she met.  She was not only a talented artist but she was an intellect as well.  Karen was a credit to the 1963 January class and to the world as a whole.  Rest in Peace Karen.  sal strand