Karen G. Concepcion

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Karen Concepción, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend, whose love and kindness touched her family and others who knew her. Karen was born in Eureka, California, into a baker’s family business where her loving mother,

Kathleen (also known as Kay), encouraged her to pursue a college education. Her father, John, was a hard-working man who loved his daughter deeply. Karen went on to earn her bachelor’s

degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and later received her master’s degree from Stony Brook University. Karen had a marvelous twenty-year career in Sales at AT&T. She devoted her life to her family and the many lives she touched through her compassion, wisdom, and generous spirit. She was the cherished mother of Kathleen Berry and Cronder Nicolás Concepción, and a loving mother-in-law to Dave and Denise. Karen enjoyed her four

grandchildren, Madeleine, Charlotte, Oliver and Penelope–all who called her by the Finnish word for grandmother, “Mummu.” Her love for them knew no bounds, and they will forever remember her warmth, her generosity along with countless memories of her in their hearts.

Karen met her future husband, Cronder Concepción, 50 years ago in the lobby of their apartment building and subsequently shared 45 wonderful years of marriage. Together they built a loving home centered on family, laughter, and unwavering support during troubling times. She was a positive influence on Cronder, persuading him to get a master’s degree. They mutually enjoyed Cronder’s cooking and Karen’s baking. Karen and Cronder lived together in Hell’s Kitchen and before that with Kathleen in Greenwich Village, Livermore, California and Brooklyn and with Nicolás in Brooklyn and Hell’s Kitchen.

Karen was a devotée of the fine arts–dance (especially ballet), jazz (especially Jazz at Lincoln Center), the opera (especially the works of Puccini), Broadway (e.g., “South Pacific”), offBroadway (e.g., “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”) and traditional as well as modern art. She also enjoyed her travels with Cronder to domestic locations such as San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Miami, Miami Beach, Orlando, New Orleans and international locations such as Cancún,

Mexico City, Martinique, Bermuda, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Florence, Siena, Vatican City, Venice, Pisa, Berlin, Leipzig, Istanbul, Athens and the Mediterranean Greek islands of Samos and Chios.

Karen will be remembered for her gentle heart, quiet strength, intelligence, grace, and the unconditional love she gave so freely. Her legacy lives on in the family she adored and in the

many lives she enriched through her kindness and compassion. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered, always.

Visitation will be held at The Abbey Funeral Directors, 333 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023, US, on July 2, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will take place at 5:30 pm during the visitation.