Karen L. Caron

Karen was born on September 10, 1953 in Hagerstown, Maryland to Charles "Chuck" and Genevieve "Genie" Leonard. She joined her sister Kathye who wondered why they could not take the crying baby back to the hospital.Her loving spirit will be carried on by her husband of 44 years, Jimi, who was her high school sweetheart, by her beloved son Matthew who inherited her wicked sense of humor, by her daughter-in-law Mandy who was just like Karen, by her granddaughter Abby who was the joy of Karens life and by her sister Kathye Faries (spouse Jim Braun) who hit the jackpot when it came to having a fabulous sister like Karen. And of course there were fur babies who were part of Karens family: Webster, and granddogs Jake, Brady and Jackson.Karen lived life to the fullest. She loved her family above all else. She loved and treasured her many friends. She loved the Orioles, the Ravens and Notre Dame football (serving as an armchair consultant occasionally). She loved the Wizard of Oz and watched it too many times to count. She loved grilled cheese sandwiches with two handfuls of potato chips. She loved deviled eggs and she loved sweets. She loved the Dobbin House, the Tuesday night group dinners at the Parlor House, and was a regular at Uno Pizzeria. She loved all things Barbra Streisand. She loved her seasonal flower pots, her bird feeders, sunflowers, daisies and babys breath. She loved when it snowed. She loved having fun. She did not like wearing matching outfits with her sister when they were young, and she did not like hypocrites and phonies.Her needlepoint skills were so good that she won prizes at the local fair, and those who were lucky enough to get one of her beautiful needlepoint pictures cherished it. She was a great cook and loved making stuffing and Toll House Cookie recipes handed down from her mother. She was a fierce advocate for causes that she believed in and never hesitated to question things or speak her mind. She sometimes answered to the title "Queen".
Karen never missed a sporting event from Matts first T-ball game all the way through his college games. She was the "mom" for many of his college friends who would gather on Sunday nights for pay-per-view wrestling and her fried chicken dinners. Karen was an integral part of forming and leading the Folk Group at St. Andrews for many years; she loved making beautiful music.Karen taught Matt to be thoughtful and polite and always reminded him to "watch out for wet leaves" when he was driving. She taught all of us that its ok to cry, its ok to be scared and its ok to crack a smart alec comment when the occasion calls for it.Karen mentored, encouraged, helped people get a leg up and made everyone feel appreciated. The many responses to Matts Facebook post about his mom mention words like warm, kind, loving, laughing and always having a smile on her face. The universe sent Karen to many people. As one of her friends said "I had a hard time making friends but with Karen it did not matter because Karens arms were always open to welcome friendship."The family invites you to join them as they celebrate Karens smile, warmth, love, sense of humor, energy and her passion for life. They will receive guests on Monday, October 16 from 7 PM 9 PM at Rest Haven Funeral Chapel, 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD, and on Tuesday, October 17 at 10:30 AM for funeral services, also at Rest Haven. At the conclusion of the funeral services, the family would like you to join them for lunch at the Waynesboro Country Club, 11000 Country Club Rd., Waynesboro, PA. Donations in Karens memory can be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital.