On January 6, 2017, Karen (McLaughlin) Troxell (63), beloved wife of James [Jim] Troxell, passed away in the company of her husband and children, Eric (partner with Jen Jefferson), Anne (wife of Michael Prodoehl), and Christopher (husband of Lauren Kitzmiller).
Karen was a fun-loving and energetic grandmother to grandchildren Lincoln, Maelin, and Clara Prodoehl; and Jen’s daughters Isabella, Maya, and Marisa Rezakhan; and loving aunt to nieces and nephews Mark and Matt, Jeffrey, Kevin and Shannon, Kyle and Alex, Casey, Brooklyn, and Laney.
Karen is survived by her husband and children, sisters Rita (McLaughlin) Moore and Barbara (McLaughlin) Olson, and brothers Mark McLaughlin and Garry McLaughlin.
Karen is preceded in death by parents, Thomas McLaughlin and Helen (Masterson) McLaughlin, and brother Stefan McLaughlin of Galesburg, Illinois.
Karen was born on September 19, 1953 in Galesburg, Illinois, the second of Tom and Helen’s six children. She graduated from Costa High School and attended Carl Sandburg College.
Karen and Jim met in St. Louis, Missouri on October 1, 1971 and were married in Galesburg, Illinois in 1974. They started their family in Peoria, Illinois with the births of their first two children and expanded the family with their third child after relocating to Maryland in 1983. They settled in Severna Park, where Karen established her career and contributed to several departments at Johns Hopkins University over the course of 20+ years, most recently as Senior Administrative Assistant to the Chair at the Johns Hopkins Department of Radiology. During her tenure she earned a degree with honors from the Carey School of Business at JHU.
Karen loved animals and graced the family with numerous pets during her lifetime. She was an avid reader of classic literature and contemporary fiction. She loved the outdoors, especially hiking and camping, gardening, and birding, and was a dedicated runner for years. She and Jim enjoyed traveling together, taking equal enjoyment in special trips afar as much as simple visits home to see family and friends.
Karen’s beauty was only exceeded by her generosity of spirit, her interest in others’ needs ahead of her own, and her amazing strength of character. Her bright smile, unstoppable optimism, and kind, open heart touched everyone she met and will never be forgotten.
Memorials may be made in Karen’s name to:
Johns Hopkins Medicine
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Myeloma Program
Division of Hematologic Malignancies
Friends may visit on Sunday January 15, 2017 from 1-4:00pm in the Barranco & Sons,P.A Severna Park Funeral Home 495 Ritchie hwy. Severna Park, MD 21146. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated on Monday January 16, 2017 at 10:00am in the St. Bernadette Catholic Church 801 Stevenson Rd. Severn, MD 21144. Interment at Lakemont Memorial Gardens cemetery.
The family would like to welcome everyone to join them for a celebration of Karen's life at Severna Park Community Center Holy Grounds from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. on January 15th. We will have food, drinks, and share happy memories of Karen. The address is 623 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Severna Park, MD 21146.
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