Karen A. Keeble ’78

The class lost a bit of whimsy and hearty laughter when Karen died July 1, 2022, after a long decline into dementia. She joined us from Theodore Roosevelt High School in San Antonio and majored in politics. An enduring memory is Karen, arm in arm with roommates or fellow Quad members, merrily skipping across campus, off to see the Wizard at PJ’s or Firestone. She was an initiator, finding concerts and plays and then gathering friends to join the expedition.

After graduation, Karen earned a clinical degree from Hunter College in New York City and opened a social-work practice, while also working as a litigation paralegal at Skadden Arps. Through Dave Wright, she met Allan Fone — a postdoc botanist and later a restoration ecologist — and over time they wove a wonderful marriage, which expanded with their son Daniel. Starting in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, they moved to San Francisco, where Karen became a judicial assistant at the state Court of Appeal, until her retirement in 2013.

It was a huge loss as Karen’s quick wit and deep curiosity were ravaged by her condition. Her playful, joyful spirit persisted for several years into her decline. We share grief with Allan and Daniel, while remembering Karen’s mischievous spark.