Karen Yvonne Reichenbach, 62, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, April 5. Born July 30, 1953, to Ruth and Allen Lawrence in Atlanta, GA, Karen was forever a Southern belle. She met her husband, Herb, in 1973 while working together at the Atlanta Braves stadium and the two were married shortly thereafter. Karen and Herb grew their careers alongside their two children, Samantha and Jenna, and shared 39 years of happy marriage in Port Washington.
Karen graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in fine arts and used her talents to enter the home furnishings industry in Manhattan. She commuted for 27 years (and never let her children forget it) before retiring to spend more time with her family. Karen became an extraordinarily active member of her community, volunteering her time on the board of the Port Washington Education Foundation and later becoming a trustee of the Village of Flower Hill. Karen very proudly became a Master Gardener through the Cornell Cooperative Extension in 2015 and used her knowledge and passion to originate the annual Arbor Day celebration in the Village of Flower Hill, as well as grant the village Tree City USA status.
Quilter extraordinaire, interior decorator and cultural enthusiast, Karen flourished in all of her creative endeavors. She had the enchanting ability to brighten anything she touched.
We will remember Karen as an incredibly loyal friend, developing lifelong relationships from many walks of life.
She was a family woman through and through and maintained her strong Southern roots her entire life.
All who came to know and love Karen were charmed by
her infectious laughter, passion for
life and gentle southern accent.
She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her mother Ruth, husband, Herb, and daughters Samantha and Jenna.
A memorial service was held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, located at 48 Shelter Rock Rd. in Manhasset.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in Karen’s name.
