Meredith--Karen Marie Schwoerer Chapman, born in 1945 in New York, NY, passed away on December 17, 2020, at her home in Meredith, NH, surrounded by loved ones.
A graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Katonah, NY, and a “Double Eagle” at Boston College, Karen worked tirelessly for almost two decades as a pediatric nurse. After beating a breast cancer diagnosis in 1990, Karen began a long and successful second career as a real estate broker in Bristol, RI. The company she founded – Harper, Ramos & Sheridan Real Estate – was one of her great loves.
Karen never met an antique chair she could resist and had a unique gift for finding the hidden potential in houses, home furnishings and, most of all, people. An exceptional chef and hostess, she loved nothing more than filling her home with family and friends, and touched many lives with her big heart, hospitality and generosity.
Karen is survived by her loving husband Gary Chapman. Together, they split their time between Meredith, NH, and St. Thomas, USVI. She also leaves behind three children – Jill Ramos Josephson (David Josephson), Nina Ramos Rose (Richard Rose), and Jon Ramos (Hillary Ramos) – as well as her stepchildren Chris Chapman and Josie Chapman. Karen was extremely proud of her six grandchildren: Jack Josephson, Jon Thomas Ramos, Natalie and Theodore Rose, and Graham and Victoria Chapman. She is also survived by her much-adored dog Mikey, from whom she was inseparable, and a legion of adopted family members across the country whom she loved deeply. She is now with her “three angels”: Rita B. Schwoerer (her beloved mother), Carol Chapman and Mary Gates.
In the end, Karen left the world just as she lived in it: with great strength, courage and a determination to do things her way.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.