Karen Stein

Karen Lynn Stein, age 84, of Madison Wisconsin, passed away Thursday 12/09/21.

Karen Stein was born in Milwaukee, WI to Lillian and Alfred Sessler.  She spent her early years in Milwaukee and later moved to Madison, WI where she spent most of the rest of her life.  She graduated from Madison West High School in 1955.  Karen then went on to the University of Wisconsin Madison where she completed a double major in History and English. Always very social, Karen was active in a local sorority.   During college she met her husband Leonard Stein and they were married for over 50 years (until his death in 2018).  Together they raised 3 children (Laura, Alan and Julia) as well as Karen’s younger brother Gregory Sessler following the death of Gregory’s and Karen’s parents.  Karen was very involved in community activities – most notably education.  She was elected to the Madison School Board.  When her term ended she remained active in local community activities such as the Urban League and helping to create the Festival of the Arts.  When her children were grown and out of the house she used her English major to get a job as the assistant editor for the Journal of Family and Marital Therapy.  Karen enjoyed reading and consequently the Stein house is filled with bookshelves full of fiction and non-fiction books which the family treasures.  Karen was also very creative and was a wonderful seamstress.  She made clothes for all 3 of her children throughout their childhood years as well as clothes for herself.  She was also a dancer as a younger woman performing “modern dance” in recitals.  Karen always made sure the family stayed active and was key in getting everyone into the sport of skiing.  She also loved to be on the sailboat with her husband Leonard and the family in the summer.  Karen also loved family trips to Door County and spent the days sitting by the lake working on needle point projects and reading.  She will be remembered as a vibrant, vivacious person.

A service will be held Sunday, 12-12-21 at Cress Funeral Home on Speedway Blvd at 12:00 noon.  There will also be a graveside ceremony immediately following the service at Cress.  The ceremony will be officiated by Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, accompanied by Karen’s sister in-law Dale Kaufman.

Karen was an advocate for education and a proud graduate of West High School.  So in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Madison Public Schools / West Highschool

https://fmps.org/donate/west-high-campaign/

Karen is survived by her brother Gregory Sessler (Dale Kaufman), daughters Laura (Patrick Farrell) and Julia (Steven Barnes) and by her son Alan (Romelyn Stein).  She is also survived by her grandchildren Aidan and Deklan Farrell, Eli and Haya Stein and Rachel Barnes as well as her niece Ana Sessler and her nephew Benjamin Sessler.

We would like to thank the staff of Heritage Senior Living for their kindness and care during Karen’s last years with severe Dementia.

If you are unable to attend Karen's service in person, please use the following link to join https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=0be801f7-cd9c-45db-ad29-746e8ffa30c8 .  You will want to pre-register.