Karen A Rybicki

Karen will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her beloved husband of 52 years, Kenneth; children, Lisa (Kevin) Grooms and Laura Rybicki; grandchildren, Brittany, Pete, Brenna, Hailie, Taylor, Danielle and Chase; siblings, Georgene (Ed) Kubacki and Gerald (Betty) Schau; sister-in-law, Elaine (Bill); nieces and nephews, David (Suzie), Mark (Michele), Steve (Cindy), Julie, Tara, Jason, Patrick (Dan), Emily (Rob), and Andy (Chanel); and numerous cousins, great-nieces and nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Arlene Bernicky, Robert Schau and Joyce Schau; and her parents, George and Rita Schau.

Karen grew up in Hammond, IN, and attended St. Casimir Grade School and Hammond High School. She was an employee of St. Margaret's Hospital for over 35 years, eventually working her way up to transcription coordinator. Karen was a longtime member of St. Joseph Church in Dyer, where she also served as cantor for several years.

Karen is known for her fierce devotion to family, her love of the Chicago Cubs and Bears, and her passion for bowling. Since she met the love of her life at the bowling alley, it seems fitting that she dedicated so much of her life to the sport. She was the decades-long league secretary for several leagues, including the Monday Night Mixed and St. Maria Goretti, to name a few. Her dedication was recognized in 2000, when the Double “I” issued her the Award of Excellence.

Karen loved being league secretary, spending countless hours each week finding just the right artwork to include in the upcoming standing sheet. One of her favorite activities was heading up the entertainment at the year-end banquets. Some of you may even be lucky enough to remember her performance as “Bowser” the year she and her teammates performed as the Sha-Na-Nettes.

As a bowler, Karen was not too shabby either. Over the years, she attended countless local, state and national tournaments, eventually even convincing her daughter Laura to join her. One of her greatest accomplishments was winning the state tournament high series award in 1993.

Karen enjoyed watching her children, and eventually grandchildren, participate in sports. She coached her daughters in softball, volleyball and bowling for several years, passing her own love of those sports down to them. As a grandmother, she attended every sporting event she could get to, cheering proudly, and sometimes loudly, from the stands.

Karen will be remembered for her sense of humor and her personalized gifts and cards. Always the comedian, she rarely entered or left a room without cracking a joke (sometimes even an inappropriate one), bringing a smile to everyone's face. She also never let an anniversary, birthday, or other important milestone pass without sending a personalized “KaR”d to honor the occasion. Her thoughtfulness and creativity will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in Karen’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Visitation will be Sunday, January 8, 2023 from noon to 6:00 pm at Kuiper Funeral Home (9039 Kleinman Rd, Highland, IN). Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, January 9, 2023 at 10:30 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church (440 Joliet St, Dyer, IN). Karen will be laid to rest during a private ceremony at a later date.