Obituary of Karen Ann Ritchie

Karen Ann Ritchie of Seymour, CT, passed away on May 1, 2023 surrounded by her loving family.  Born in Derby, CT, Karen grew up in Oxford and attended Oxford Public Schools before graduating from Holy Cross High School in Waterbury in 1980.  She began her nursing career at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury before working for over 21 years as a visiting nurse for Masonicare.  In addition to being a dedicated nurse, Karen was an avid reader, animal lover, and talented cook who enjoyed listening to music, gardening, and spending time by the ocean.  And while she loved to travel internationally, to destinations like Ireland and Greece, and the length of the East Coast of the United States, she always cherished the values of home and family.  She will be profoundly missed and dearly remembered by her family as a loving daughter, caring sibling, and proud aunt, who never tired of spending time with her two nieces.  Passionate and brave in the face of adversity, Karen was quick with a joke and appreciated a good story in the company of her many friends.  A communicant of St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Beacon Falls, Karen is survived by parents, Judy and Ronald of Orange;  siblings, Pamela Hinton (and her husband, Cary) of Oxford, and R.J. Ritchie (and his wife, Anne Marie) of Westport, MA; beloved nieces, Julia Hinton of Boston, MA and Natalie Hinton of Newport, RI; aunt, Joan Driscoll of Derby; uncle, David Driscoll (and his wife, Noboko) of Orange; closest cousins, John Driscoll of Hawaii and Sean Driscoll (and his wife, Toni) of Orange; and dear friends, Marcia Blake, Lynn Gayda, Deanna Raimondi, Nancy Haddad, and Sandy Hayes.  She was predeceased by her grandparents, Ann Driscoll of Ansonia and Fred Driscoll of New Haven, Mary and Ronald Ritchie of Ansonia; her aunt, Debbie Hyder of Ansonia; and aunt and uncle, Russell and The Honorable Joanne Kulawiz of Orange, with whom she spent many happy days in her childhood.  We ask that you keep Karen in your thoughts and prayers.  Friends and family may call on Friday, May 5, 2023, from 8:45 AM to 10:30 AM in the Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home, 167 Wakelee Avenue, Ansonia.  A Mass of Christian Burial will then be celebrated at 11:00 AM, in Holy Rosary Church, 10 Father Salemi Dr., Ansonia.  Interment will follow in Orange Center Cemetery, Orange Center Rd. (Rte.152), Orange, CT.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Ansonia Animal Shelter, North Division Street, Ansonia, CT 06401, which can be reached at (203) 410-7716.  Online condolences may be made at www.wakeleememorial.com.