Karen Patricia (Haffa) Beacon of Naples, Florida, died unexpectedly from a heart attack June 5, 2026. She was 84.
This obituary started out in standard form, retracing her life and times, noting her dedication to her family, documenting her many accomplishments, detailing her talents and interests, listing those who survive her.
Then the phone calls, emails and texts started pouring in. Her cell phone was the key to notifying her many friends, and they responded with overwhelming praise and love for her. Many callers cried.
Karen possessed a beautiful talent and skill for knowing and caring about others. It was surely her mother, who was lost to her at the early age of 47, who imbued that in her. Always smile. Compliment others on their appearance. Ask about their family. Know all their children’s names. Send cards and presents when appropriate. Care for them in time of need. Celebrate life with them on as many occasions as possible.
Karen did all that and more. Her upbringing as an Army “brat” helped. Karen attended seven different schools, including starting high school in Heidelberg, Germany. She was always the new kid in town and relished making new friends. She did so quickly, forging long-term, close ties. Karen stayed connected with her Red Bank high school classmates and numbered them among her dearest friends.
Her gregarious nature led her to professional success as well. In the 1960s, when business opportunities for women were limited, she launched her own career as a “Polaroid girl” – marketing those new-fangled instant cameras long before the days of the ubiquitous cell phone. She parlayed her success there and took her girlfriend co-workers with her into a marketing career with a series of commercial electronics companies, reaching high-level managerial positions.
A move from Los Angeles to Seattle altered her career path but, being the people-person that she was, she soon found an ideal spot in the Chateau Ste Michele winery, where she managed customer relations. A side benefit was purchasing discounted premier cru wines as gifts for friends and family. The next time you pass by a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay in the store, think of Karen.
Her life was not unmarked by tragedy. In addition to losing her wonderful mother at an early age, she lost two husbands and a child. She shed many tears, as her family and friends do now for her.
Her last career move was another good fit, working as a travel agent in Woodinville, Washington. Karen was the consummate international traveler herself and liked nothing better than that first Bloody Mary on an airplane headed to an exotic destination. But owing to her care for and consideration of others, she enjoyed as much the vicarious pleasure of tailoring the perfect vacation for her dear friends.
After her second husband died, Karen left Seattle for Naples to join family and, of course, make even more close friends, reprising her favorite role as the new kid in town. Her residence in the retirement community of Aston Gardens was exactly right for her at the time. Had there been a popularity contest in Building Five, she would have been right at the very top. But she knew her time was limited. As she said recently to one of her original Polaroid girls, “We had our day in the sunshine… it’s time to step aside and let someone else in.”
Her daughter Laddie and brother Bob are coordinating her final resting place and a quiet celebration of her life; there will be no formal funeral services. If you wish to make a charitable contribution in her name, Karen was partial to animals (her cat, Alex, is being well cared for) and had adopted an elephant at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Your own favorite charity might be a good choice.
In memory of her mother, Karen would recommend a celebration of her life that follows this guidance: smile, make new friends, compliment others, know their children’s names and ask about them. Love one another. Right now.
The article originally appeared in the June 18 – 24, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
