Karen's Tribute Video Link - Click to Watch
DAVIS, Karen LaRue
Age 72, of Newton, died at home in the comfort of her family on April 27, 2023, from complications of advanced glioblastoma. Born on May 1, 1950 to Peggy Lou (Seyler) and John Herschel Davis and raised in Shaker Heights, OH, she was the adored “bossy older sister” of Wendy and Halle. Her beliefs, passions and gifts – embodied in her love for family, her multitude of friends and her commitment to helping others – were shaped by coming of age in a time of great political and social upheaval in the country, as well as a time of great popular music. Her strength of character and opinions occasionally led to disagreements with her loving parents, who might just sigh and shake their heads. They were so very proud of her!
Karen attended Allegheny College and spent her junior year at the University of Glasgow. She obtained a Master’s degree in Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health and put her degree to work addressing health care and social service issues in several government and not-for-profit settings. From there her career took her into the world of administrative management in social services and higher education, serving in executive leadership positions at the NYU School of Medicine, SUNY/Downstate Medical Center, the NYC Adult Homeless Shelter system, Harvard Medical School and University, and Brown University, from which she retired as Vice President for Human Resources in 2017. At every stop along this trajectory, Karen gained the respect and admiration of colleagues and coworkers who describe her as brilliant, a trusted advisor, and a superb mentor.
Karen married Randall Block, on April 20, 1986, in Rockport, MA. Their first home together was in Brooklyn, NY, where son Jeffrey was born in 1989. The family soon settled in Newton Lower Falls in 1990, welcoming son Peter in 1994. A supreme multi-tasker (before the word was invented), Karen could go toe-to-toe with college administrators during the day, help put a meal on the table at night, and scream at Tom Brady on Sunday afternoon for missing an important pass. But nothing surpassed her love and attention for Randy, Jeffrey and Peter, and more recently daughter-in-law Caroline Cogan and grandson Connor, whom she adored (the feeling is mutual!). They feel blessed to have basked in her presence.
Karen enjoyed filling her flower boxes and sprucing up the backyard, and she never forgot a holiday or special occasion. She was a sports fan but never bigger than when her boys were on the field or on the ice. Her affinity for lakes and the ocean started with family vacations on Platte Lake in northern Michigan and continued with boating on Lake Champlain, regular trips to beaches in Gloucester and Cape Cod, family summers in Rhode Island and more recently at the family’s vacation home in Harwich.
In addition to Randy, Jeffrey, Peter, Caroline, Connor, and beloved dog Max, Karen is survived by her sisters, Wendy and Halle Davis, brother-in-law John Mahoney, sister-in-law Linda Block and her daughters Kaley and Leanne and her Clark and Hazlett cousins and their families.
A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Newton at 1326 Washington St., Newton, on Sunday, June 4, at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Allegheny College, 520 N. Main St., Meadville, PA 16335.
Karen's Tribute Video Link - Click to Watch