Karen Louise Rubb
RUBB: Karen Louise Rubb, born Karen Judy and owning the important title of Nana to her grandchildren, died peacefully on Monday, November 13, 2023 after an extended battle with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia). She was 71. Karen was born to Ray Judy and Mary Conroy of Duquesne, Pennsylvania. The oldest of 5 children, Karen’s instinct for protecting and nurturing others was evident early. So it was no surprise that her kindness and empathy would lead her into the field of nursing, attending St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing and Waynesburg University. Karen spent the early part of her career working in surgery and recovery at the Veterans Administration Hospital and Montefiore Hospital. In November, 1973, an elderly woman came into her care for cancer treatment. Karen had of course worked with such patients before – what she had not encountered was anyone quite like this woman’s son, Bernard (Bernie). While the details of their initial contact are reserved for a good, old-fashioned live telling, the two of them hit it off and went on a date (rescheduled from Friday to Saturday because Karen had already committed to spending Friday coloring with her younger sister). One date led to another, and another – trips to Florida and New Jersey along the way – and two years later, Karen married Bernie Rubb on August 31, 1975. Karen put her nursing career on hold as she and Bernie welcomed two children in the ensuing years, Eric and Tamara. She created a home filled with laughter and love, punctuated by late night card games, charades, and movie nights on what was probably one of the last remaining Betamax players on the east coast. Her home became the epicenter of family gatherings. Visitors would often be greeted by the strains of Irish folk music and the savory smells of lemon chicken or her mother’s goulash. And her hugs were legendary. As her kids flew the nest, Karen’s drive to serve others never waned and she returned to nursing, working as a charge nurse at Sewickley Valley Hospital and in recovery at Shady Side Hospital before her illness unfortunately forced her from the work she loved so much. Karen was diagnosed with FTD in 2009 and battled the slow advance of her disease with grace. Even as she lost her ability to speak, her family and her caregivers would remark on the ever-present brightness in her eyes. A lifetime of service, of desire to help others, still bubbling beneath the surface, trying to get out. Karen is survived by her husband, Bernie, her children Eric and Tamara, her daughter-in-law, Caroline, her grandchildren Banjo, Leo, and Eloise, and her siblings Karol, Kathy, and Ray. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Hamedrash Hagodol Cemetery/Beth Jacobs Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would kindly request donations to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. schugar.com PJC
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