Karen S. Skipper

Karen Skipper, age 68, passed away on May 5, 2020, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Born in Akron, Ohio, she currently resided in Hartville with her husband John. Karen graduated from Ellet High School and The University of Akron. She was retired from Springfield Local Schools, where she taught first grade and kindergarten for 35 years. She touched many lives throughout her teaching career and loved her students and colleagues dearly. After retiring, Karen devoted much of her time to volunteering alongside her family. She continued her love of teaching by volunteering at Lake Local Schools. She particularly enjoyed using her talent for sewing to create personalized stockings for every first grader at Christmas time. Karen also devoted 12 years of service to Camp Quality Ohio, a summer camp and year-round support system for children with cancer and their families. In addition to her volunteer endeavors, Karen had many interests and hobbies. She and her husband, John, had a passion for travel. They traveled the world and loved every minute. Some of their favorite places included the Galapagos Islands, British Isles, Norwegian Fjords, and Bermuda. Karen also enjoyed baking, and was well known for her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. If she wasn’t traveling or baking, she could always be found at the ice rink or the baseball fields watching her grandsons play. She was their biggest fan. While Karen saw many places and had many accomplishments in her life, her favorite place to be was anywhere with her family. Karen had a huge impact on everyone she met. Her calm and loving demeanor were admired by all who were lucky enough to know her. She was an incredible, strong, and selfless woman who was the rock of her family. She will be missed beyond words. Karen was preceded in death by her father, Clyde Brown; step son, Michael Skipper; and son in law, Shane Nalepa. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, John Skipper; son, Matthew (Chelsea) Dotson; daughter, Karla Nalepa; step daughter, Dawn Fitzgerald; grandchildren, Nicholas, Olivia, Asher, Gavin, Beau, Griffin, and Aurora; mother, Betty Brown; and sister, Pamela Johnson. Due to social distancing requirements, there will be no public services. In lieu of flowers, Karen requested donations for her favorite non-profit organization, Camp Quality Ohio. To donate, please visit: https://www.campqualityusa.org/oh/ways-to-help/ (Hopkins Lawver, AKRON, 330-733-6271) www.hopkinslawver.com