Karen Ruth (Hultman) Karcheski, born on May 31, 1935 in Waterbury, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 21, 2024.
Although battling Alzheimer’s disease for 17 years, her will of survival was greatly seen in her final days, but Karen unfortunately succumbed to COVID virus.
Karen grew up in Waterbury and Woodbury and graduated from Woodbury High School. She was inspired by her teachers and state attending the New Britain Teachers College (Central Connecticut State University) and earned her Master’s Degree and Sixth Year at Southern Connecticut State University.
Karen taught in the Danbury Public School system for 44 years, including Broadview Middle School, Rogers Park Middle School and Park Avenue Elementary School. She taught grades K-8 was a Language Arts Teacher and an Assistant Principal.
Karen had a passion for teaching and loved her students immensely. She would buy pins of animals and pin them in the folds of a wide skirt, so the children could have fun finding them. She loved to dress up as Mother Goose and the Cat in the Hat. Karen was a dedicated educator beloved by her students and respected by her peers.
Karen lived in Newtown for over 20 years. She loved going to Dickinson Park and riding in her Mustang convertible in the Labor Day Parade with her nieces. In 1990 she then moved to Monroe, where she enjoyed her condominium with a view of a pond and decorated it all in her favorite color, blue.
Karen loved visits to her favorite place, Cape Cod, and enjoyed visiting Tanglewood every summer, which culminated annually with listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Karen loved the Boston Red Sox and enjoyed going to games at Fenway Park with her family and friends. Her favorite player was catcher Carlton Fisk, a.k.a. “The Pudge.” She was also a fan of the Hartford Whalers.
She loved cats, rescuing many over the years, and supported the Newtown Animal Control Shelter. Karen had a passion for reading, which she passed down to her grand nieces and nephews by generously giving them books and reading to them. She especially loved the children’s author Jan Brett.
Karen was a warm and caring person, who lived life vibrantly and touched many lives. She deeply loved her family and friends and would do anything for them. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered.
Karen is survived by Patrick Broas, her loving partner and companion of 42 years, twin sisters Carolee Kingsbury of Storrs and Cynthia Scheibel (Edwin) of Bradenton, Fla.
She is also survived by nieces Sandy Schill (David) of Sandy Hook, Kristen Bazuro (Robert) of Sandy Hook, and nephew, Milton Hultman III (Jessica) of Ellsworth, Maine, along with grand nieces and nephews. In addition to her family, Karen is survived by her longtime caring nurse, Jackie Irizarry.
Karen is predeceased by her parents Milton Hultman and Ethyl Lucy (Holmes) Hultman of Woodbury, and by her brother, Milton Hultman II of Ellsworth, Maine, and niece Melissa Miller (Bill) of New Milford.
Karen loved and doted on her siblings’ children and grandchildren as if they were her own. Karen was formerly married to Andrew Davison, who predeceased her and Donald Karcheski.
Funeral Services will be privately held.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to the Newtown Animal Control Shelter, (21 Old Farm Lane, Newtown, CT 06470), Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, or the Connecticut Humane Society. Online condolences may be left at SpadaccinoFuneralHome.com.
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