Karen Patricia O’Connor (1938-2025)
Hello dearest blogging community.
I’m Julie Sweeney, Karen’s oldest daughter. Karen has been living here in Ohio to be near me during her health challenges of the last year and a half. During her time here, she has delighted my family with her joy, her love, and her presence. She made new friends in her assisted living home, Provision Living, and genuinely loved this ending time of her life.
Her health challenges mounted this year and in October, she broke her hip. Her last blog post that you’ve read was scheduled and published right after she went through the surgery.
The hip replacement surgery was successful, but it also set off a series of deeply damaging seizures—three of them the week of November 4. Her longest seizure lasted over an hour, on my birthday, November 7.
Since then, we’ve been in a battle for her health. The seizures wouldn’t stop and the meds drugged her so much, she slept round the clock.
In her final week, Karen spent more and more time sleeping. But when she was awake, she would connect with each of us in her usual lovely way. She was a glowing presence in the lives of everyone who knew her.
For me, she was more than a mother. She was my confidant, my best friend, my cheerleader, and my favorite human being. I will miss her more than I can say.
Thank you for supporting her in the last year and a half especially. At times, she felt too tired to write her blog. I urged her to continue until she couldn’t any more because I knew it meant a lot to you and I knew writing it and reading your comments was good for her.
In that last entry on October 7, she told us that she was beyond exhausted.
She went home to her rest on January 1. I had the privilege of being bedside, as I had promised her I would be, holding her hand until her last breath.
She was a life-giving force of a human! May we all be as kind, full of love and integrity as Karen Patricia O’Connor.
If you are local, we are holding services on Saturday, January 11 at 10:00 AM. The details are in the obituary linked here.
I will read all of your comments so feel free to share what Karen meant to you.
With deep sadness and even deeper gratitude,
Julie
Ohhh, Julie, we are so sorry for your loss but also for ours of our dear Karen! She edited my book Simplify YourTime, and started a writers group at my request for myself and my speaker friends. Karen was a good friend here in San Diego and will be really missed online and off. It sounds like she had quite the health challenges and we are so sorry for that. Now she is whole and with Jesus and dear Charles. May God comfort you and your family.
Thank you Marcia! I am so glad to read your kind words.
Julie
What a loving tribute to a life well lived! My heartfelt sympathy to you and all her friend and family!
She was a woman of many talents. Her love for God and others was obvious to all who knew her.
We will all miss her!
We certainly will! Thank you Etta Mae.
I was introduced to your mother’s work by Jimmy her son who was a great help and and I can see from keeping up with your mother Karen that she was a huge influence for your family!
Her writing will be missed but I have to say I am glad she is no longer sick though losing her is very hard.
May God bless and keep all of your family in his care!
Yes we are glad she is relieved of suffering too. But we miss her fiercely.
Julie, I am saddened to hear of Karen’s passing. But overjoyed to hear that she is now with her beloved Charles and with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I loved Karen so much. Here in Santa Cruz, She was a bright light to so many in our recovery community, including me. Karen helped to edit my small recovery books that I give away to the recovery community. She was a very wise woman and a cherished friend to me. I am remembering her infectious smile and laugh right now. I can’t wait to see her again in heaven. Bless you, Julie, as you carry on her legacy of writing. Thanks for sharing your mom with us and saving this space to remember her. love, Heidi Garwood
Thank you Heidi!
I am so very sad to hear of Karen’s passing. Thank you for letting us know as well as the health difficulties she had been having since October. Having a major surgery, such as a hip replacement, is so very taxing & stressful to the body at any age. I was so sad to hear the hip surgery resulted in the additional complication of seizures.
I am so happy to know she and Charles are once again enjoying their holy lives together.
With Love, , Terrie
Thank you Terrie. It was difficult to watch her lose her ability to walk and speak and eat. She exited life with such grace though and went gently for which I am grateful.
Julie
Thank you for the notification. I’m very sad at her passing. She was my sponsor and teacher at the Longridge Writers Group. I felt as if I personally knew her during the two year coarse. She was a wonderful tutor and I learned so much from her. She even used one of my stories in one of her books. I have most of her books that have touched so many others over the years. I am now 97 and still writing. She was such an encouragement to me. I got to know her kindness and sweet personality through her teaching. I am sorry for your loss and happy you have such good memories. Thank you again. God Bless.
Goodness Marie! 97 is an incredible age and to still be writing. Bless you! Thank you for this lovely memory.
Julie
Dear Julie,
It means so much to me that you let us know that your mom went home to be with the Lord and I am so sorry for your loss. Karen and I worked together for many years with my writing. We spent so many special times together as I was writing my 92 page memoir that I gave to my daughters as a Christmas gift in 2020. Every week we went over my writing and she shared so many stories about her life too. We were very close. Fulfilling my dream of writing a memoir was your mom’s idea. It was so healing for me and I am so thankful that we had so much time together over the phone. In honor of your mother I am writing my second memoir and my I am passing on the torch to my grand daughters. Your mother was not only my writing mentor…she was a dear friend and confidant. She’d keep challenging me to keep on growing, strengthening and to follow my dreams. Karen heart and passion for life are etched in my heart forever. I will always be grateful for her friendship and her passion for life. Julie I am so thankful that you were so close to her. Bless you and your family.
Sandy Victor
Thank you Sandy! I remember her speaking about you and your memoirs. Keep writing!
Julie
Dear Julie,
Thank you so much for letting me know that your mom spoke about our time together as she edited my memoir memoir. Thank you also for your encouragement to keep on writing. Your mom’s passing has hit me really hard. I am so thankful that we starting working together in 2007 or earlier with her as my writing mentor through the Christian Writers Guild. I was so thankful she agreed to be my writing mentor. I was so happy that she was willing to edit my writing a few years after I finished the course. She was the one who encouraged me to get back into going to al-anon meetings on the phone. Your mom and I had such a deep connection and I will always be thankful for her honesty, even when it hurt. She told me, “You’ve been talking about writing for years and I don’t see that you are bearing any fruit. I’m not doing you any favors by sugar coating this.” Yep! That was all I needed and then I started turning over my writing on a weekly basis. She told me I needed to dig deep within my soul when I write. I cherish the time when she invited me to her home for about five days in 2013. I was so happy to take photographs of Charles and Karen together. I sent her a cd. of all of the photos in 2013. I truly loved, respected and admired your mother. She was a dear friend, prayer partner, incredible mentor and she had a heart of gold. I will always treasure all that we shared and all of the notes throughout the years. It makes me feel like she is still with me.I will always carry your mom deep within my heart. I miss her a lot. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
With much gratitude .
Sandy
Thank you Julie to let everyone know of Karen’s passing. I’ve read most of her books (that she’s written). She was a true inspiration to everyone. Again thank you for sharing. You take care & May God Bless. A friend always. Andrea Morones (in Sacramento,California.
Thank you Andrea!
I have known Karen for years. First through traveling to schools for Karen to share her writing skills, and later just to share lunch with a great friend. We spent many hours sharing our faith and the joy our families brought to our lives . Thank you Julie for all you were to her and all you gave. Yes she was a remarkable talent and an amazing person filled with light.
Thank you for saying all of this. It was a privilege to walk her home. I am so deeply glad I had Karen O’Connor for my mother!
Julie
Thank you, Julie, for letting us know. Karen loved her family so much. I worked with Karen for many years as her editor at Harvest House Publishers. I remember dancing with Charles at a Christian book gathering in Denver! I loved their love for each other. Karen was one of my favorite authors, and I’ll miss her greatly.
Harvest House was so good to her! The books she wrote are such delightful texts. Thank you for all you did for her!
Julie
Karen was a wonderful person and I feel grateful I had the opportunity to meet and spent time with her. She was generous with her time and talent participating in author events to speak with young students about writing. She was a fabulous writer and I enjoyed reading her books for children and her books for seniors.
Thank you for letting me know. My thoughts and love are with you and your family.
She was a treasure.
It tickles me to see how many people she helped with writing!
Julie
I’m so sorry for your loss! Karen was such a light and beautifully strong and fun woman. I met her through writing and kept in touch through this blog. She encouraged me to become the author I am today. Always ready with a warm smile and witty quip, Karen was wise and kind. She will be truly missed.
Keep writing! I know that’s what she’d say to you.
xo Julie
Dear Julie,
Words can’t express how much your message has saddened me. I have been afraid that something was ailing her when her blog isn’t been forthcoming. She was a genuine gem at our many All Girl’s Mule Trips
starting in the 1990’s and progressing into camping trips in our lovely Sierra Mountains. She always was willing to lead. all of us into a stimulating Discussion Group at our outings. Bless you for taking such good care of her through her last years. She was well loved and will be lovingly remembered.
Terri Sutor. January 6, 2025
Hello Terri. Few experiences delighted my mother more than the mule trips. She found her spiritual home in the Sierra Nevadas. Thank you for being a part of her best life!
Julie
Oh Julie, you can’t believe how sad it was for me to read about Karen, your lovely mother today. I am so sorry for your loss and the hole she will leave.
She was a true, passionate mentor to me since she was assigned to me for my first Christian Writers Guild course in 2011. She taught others that getting old wasn’t for wimps. Well, she sure wasn’t a wimp. She gave aging dignity, beauty, humor, and challenged it every step of the way with colorful and creative inspiration that I will never forget.
I dreaded this day. Goodbye Ms. Karen. Thank you. You will not be forgotten.
From my desk,
Beth Rayann Corder
Julie, I was deeply saddened to learn of Karen’s health problems and passing.I am her cousin. Her Mother and my Father, Jerry Ennis, were brother and sister. We shared family news and reminisced about our family times spent together when we were young. She was 3 years older, and was a role model even then. She would often tell me about you and your family. God bless you and your family. I Know you and your Mother will remain close, always.
My condolences to you and your family. I never met your Mom in person but I felt I knew her through her books and this blog. I appreciated her sense of humour and her practical insights on aging and walking out her faith. Her blog helped me through a very difficult time in my life when I had just moved to a new community and had no woman friends- she answered my blog questions with grace and love. My the Lord comfort you during this time.