Karen Page, of Port Townsend Washington, died on Sept. 1, 2022 peacefully at home, surrounded by family.
She is survived by her daughter Lisa Page and fiancee Alexander Smith; son Alan Page and wife Elida Castillo; grandson Dillon Page-Castillo; half brother Bruce Huffine and wife Theresa Huffine; and half-sister Carol Lugo and husband Ed Lugo.
Karen was born and grew up in Long Beach, California where she met Rodney Page roller skating as a teenager. They married in 1955 and were together for 65 years. Rodney’s work took them to Oak Forest, Illinois from 1969 to 1985. During that time Karen received her master’s degree in art history in 1983 from Governors State University in Illinois and also demonstrated her adventurous side, taking art education trips to China, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa.
Karen and Rod returned to Long Beach for some years where Karen taught art at Long Beach City College. They happily retired to Port Townsend in 1994 where they found good friends and a supportive community.
Karen was a prolific and original fiber artist with talents in weaving, spinning, quilting, knitting, sewing clothes, beading, dying fabrics and making paper, creating dolls and art books and fabric wall hangings. She created beauty and surrounded herself with it. She enjoyed the attention and admiration she received for her handmade, beautiful, creative clothes and jewelry.
Karen was a natural, sensitive, caring teacher. She taught art to people of all ages in many different venues throughout her life. She also loved her quilting groups and various women’s groups that often involved art-making in some way.
She was an early member of the Quimper Unitarian Universalist church and was active in the church for many years. She was also a member of Unitarian churches in Long Beach, California and Homewood, Illinois.
Karen touched many lives as a mother, teacher, friend, and artist and will be dearly missed.
There will be a memorial for her at the Quimper Unitarian Universalist church in Port Townsend at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
