Obituary
It is with great sadness that the family of Karen Ann Richards announce her passing on November 27, 2020 at the age of 69. The daughter of the late Jack Schanfeld and surviving mother Winifred Schanfeld, Karen was born on May 14, 1951 in Tampa, Florida.
Throughout her youth, Karen lived in numerous areas of the U.S. and foreign countries, including England, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. She graduated from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson, NY in 1969. After high school she attended Stoneybrook University where she received a degree in education. Upon graduation from Stoneybrook, she moved to California, where she worked for several high-technology firms, including Sun Microsystems, where she became the first sales and marketing person at Sun to receive the President’s Award, a highly coveted achievement that usually went to engineers.
After retiring in 2008, Karen focused her time and talent on several local charities, including the Cancer Alliance of Naples (CAN), the Betty Allen Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, Charity for Change, Earn to Learn Florida, Laces of Love, and others. Through Karen’s leadership in strategic fundraising, these charities were able to raise substantial funding to further their missions.
Karen was nothing less than a true survivor; no matter what she did or what she went through, she found a way forward. She was always positive and enthusiastic, and relentlessly looked for the silver lining in life, even in the toughest of times. She was fearless, purposeful and a phenomenal leader and strategic thinker. Always in a hurry to do more, she was unforgettable and illuminated any room she graced. She leaves a huge void in the hearts of those blessed to know her.
Karen joined Jonathan in matrimony in 1991 in Pinehurst, NC, and were happily married for 29 years. Karen is survived by her husband, Jonathan Richards of Naples, FL; her mother, Winifred Schanfeld of Naples, FL; her sister Joan Schanfeld of Northport, NY; her sister Angela Plante of Santa Clara, CA; her niece Marissa Plante of South Bend, IN; her niece Veronica Plante of Santa Clara, CA; and 25 additional nieces and nephews.
