Karen Jane Thomas

Karen Thomas, 76, passed away unexpectedly on October 27th, 2023. She joins her husband, to whom she was married for 53 years until his passing in 2021.

Karen was born in Canton, Ohio, and grew up nearby, in Marlboro Township. She was the daughter of Donald and Betty Shoemaker and sister to Kay (Ed), Kristine (Kenny), Kenny (Ruth), Keith (Dawn) and Kathryn (Bryan). She was an adventurous and often mischievous young girl, a character trait that she never lost. Her love for her family ran deep and transcended time. Even as they grew older, whenever she got together with her sisters, they shared the same light and energy they did when they were young girls in Ohio.

She went to The Ohio State University, where she met the man who would be her lifetime partner, her future husband Dave. Those earlier years were difficult, as they seemed to relocate almost every year for nearly 10 years before finally settling in their long-time home of Wheaton, IL.

It was in Wheaton that Karen made her home, a place where she would build a life with her husband and raise a family. Heartbreakingly, her time in Wheaton began with the tragic loss of Donna, her daughter, who was taken from us far too soon. There was not a day that went by that Karen did not think of Donna, remembering the bright young girl that she was, and dreaming of the person she would have become.

While she held many roles throughout her life, the common thread through all of them was caring for others. She was the proudest and most tireless of mothers to her son, Rich. She was always there to support and celebrate every part of his life. She was omnipresent in Rich's early years and would always cherish having that time with Rich, just the two of them in the house, as they waited for Dave to come home. The only person who loved those years together more than Karen was Rich.

As Rich grew a little older, she became the Resident Coordinator at the Wyndemere Senior Living Community, where she cared for other families' loved ones with the same dedication that she cared for her own. Later, she would extend that dedication to serving others when she became the Director of Patient Services at the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, and later joined the Board of Directors.

The bonds of love in Karen's close family of three were incredibly strong. When Rich married Victoria and expanded their small group, Karen couldn't have been happier. She loved spending time with her son and daughter-in-law and sharing in the life they were building. Victoria brought so much joy into Karen's life, including bringing Karen's twin grandsons, Alexander and Christopher, into the world.

In 2017, Karen and Dave moved to Connecticut, and she took on the hardest role of her life – caring for Dave as he grew ill. Through those hard years, she was there for him every day. Helping him, caring for him, loving and protecting him – he was her sole focus. Even on the hardest days, Karen's love and dedication to her husband never wavered. On his final day, she held his hand, and the love flowed between them as easily as it did when they first met at Ohio State.

In her new home in Wilton, she quickly fell into a strong group of dear friends that filled her days. She was a planner and was always working on the next lunch, dinner, concert, or any other event that would allow her an opportunity to spend more time with those she had become so close with. Karen was never one to stand still (literally) and could frequently be seen out and about, walking all over Wilton. Everyone in town knew her, and she knew everyone.

It was her last role, as Grandma to two rambunctious twin boys, that she truly loved the most. In the blink of an eye, her home in Wilton was transformed, with pictures of the twins appearing on every wall and end table. She loved her grandchildren with all of her heart. She loved spending time with them, and when she couldn't be with them, looking at their videos and pictures of them on her iPad. Just moments before she passed, she was looking at pictures of her and the boys in a field full of pumpkins, picking out the best ones to bring home. We will all miss the glorious sound of two little boys shouting "Grandma" as they ran into her waiting arms and felt the love that only Grandma's hug could bring.

Karen meant so much to so many people. She was deeply loved by her family and her friends. We relied on her, and she made our lives better - we loved her more than words can express. She will be remembered forever and will be greatly missed.

Family, friends, and loved ones are cordially invited to visiting hours at the Raymond Funeral Home, 5 E Wall St, Norwalk, CT 06851 on Saturday, November 4th, 2023 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Family and friends are invited to gather for a reception to follow.

From there, Karen will travel back to her long-time home in Wheaton, where family, friends, and loved ones are invited to visiting hours at the Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, 430 E Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187 on Tuesday, November 7th, 2023 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Family and friends are also invited to gather for a reception to follow.

Burial will be on Wednesday, November 8th, 2023 at 10:00 at the Wheaton Cemetery, 1209 S. Warrenville Road, Wheaton, Illinois.

Please consider making a donation in Karen's memory to the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, 219 East Cole Avenue Wheaton, Illinois 60187 or online at https://spectrios.org.