Obituary of Karen O'Brien
Karen C. O'Brien, 85, of Freehold, NJ passed away peacefully on Monday, March 7, 2022. She was born Karen C. Crowley on June 23, 1936 in Wilmington, DE, the daughter of James W. and Hannah (Williams) Crowley. At the age of four, she was stricken with polio and spent a year in the Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington, DE. As a result of the polio, Karen's right leg was shortened and she walked with a limp. In 1945, she relocated with family to Staten Island, NY. She graduated from Curtis High School in 1954 and was employed by Chemical Bank in Staten Island, NY. In 1972, she married James O'Brien and moved to the upper west side of Manhattan, NY. She graduated from Fordham University in 1976. She served as Vice President of the Commonwealth Fund, a non-profit organization in New York City. In 1994, she and her husband moved to the retirement community of Rossmoor in Monroe Twp., and in 2007, she moved into Applewood Assisted Living in Freehold. Karen served as President of the Applewood Residents' Association from 2010-2011. Karen enjoyed going to the theatre in NYC and was an avid New York Mets fan.
She was pre-deceased by her husband James in 2006 and by sisters Patricia Kaminsky and Anne Korpan.
She is survived by her brothers, James W. Crowley, Jr., Wil Crowley, and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
The family will be holding a family only private service.
Those who wish to remember Karen in a special way may make a gift in her memory to Nemours Fund For Children's Health -- Shands House, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803, www.nemours.org.
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