Karen May Williams

Karen May Williams, 74, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2021 at South Pinellas Hospice Care Center in St. Petersburg, FL. Born on August 27, 1947 at Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, she was the first of nine children of the late Stanley and Evelyn (Friedhof) Williams. Karen was a business owner for many years before her retirement. Karen was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She was kind, generous, intelligent, and spirited. She loved and adored her family and friends, and her fur baby Ombré. She loved fashion, jewelry, makeup, and just the right shade of red lipstick. She loved displaying her collection of elephant statues to represent strength, protection, wisdom and good luck, Buddha statues to represent wisdom, understanding and fulfilling destiny, and family heirlooms. She was an amazing cook and like her personality – liked to spice it up. Most of all, Karen loved people and her family. She cared deeply about the lives of those she loved. No matter how she was feeling, she always started a conversation with “How are you?” so she could know and lend her unfailing love and support, no matter the response. Even when she couldn’t get to her phone, her whimsical answering machine greetings were there to make you smile. Karen is survived by her adoring children, Cynthia Rosario of St. Petersburg, Florida (and her significant other, Steven McWhirter, and her children Carlyn, Cooper and Caden and their father Jay Rosario), and son, Brian Hedgepeth of Ellington, Florida (and his wife Vicki and their children Calvin, Trenton and Benjamin). Karen is survived by her loving siblings, Candace Williams (Chula, Missouri), Buddy Williams, Jeffrey Williams, Debi Knight Williams, (all in Redding, California), Vicki Pallo (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), and Tammy Reigle (Franklinton, North Carolina). She is predeceased by her sister Kathleen Williams and her brother Shawn Williams. Karen has many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews across the U.S. that will all miss her tender support and contagious laughter. A private Celebration of Life will be held for family and those closest to her. A special thank you to the medical professionals who guided her with love and care.

“I suspect that a large part of the energy we spend in pondering the various possible scenarios of life after death is just the energy of grief needing a place to go. But since we are given to speculating – and since there is a persistent conviction found in many religions that there is life beyond human death – perhaps we could throw our hats into the ring of hope, and surmise that while we don’t know what God is doing in creation, God knows, and will see us through.”

As Mom/Oma would always say….. “Ciao” for now!