Karen D Ryan, age 67, was an avid learner and adventurous spirit throughout her life and sadly, as she was at the height of fulfilling her dreams in retirement, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) took her from those dreams and those of us who were fortunate enough to be part of her journey. She was a curious and brave soul who began fulfilling her passion for travel in the 1980s when she went to England to attend a summer seminar at the University of Oxford. She and her mother, who supported and inspired her, made 2 trips around various European countries in the 1990s. Her focus in retirement was to fulfill her plans to travel with her son, her partner as well as several beloved friends. In the past 2 years, she visited Scotland once, Italy twice, & explored several scenic areas across the country. She was always game for a trip or adventure, whether near or far.



But her travels do not capture the woman who was brave in meeting challenges throughout her life. She met any personal ordeal with fortitude and plowed through it. If there was a social or political cause she was passionate about, she stepped up to the plate to volunteer. If there was a creative endeavor to attempt, she successfully met it. Karen was exceptionally skilled in various crafts, including quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, felting and, most recently, basket-making.  
Professionally, she established her own appraisal business in the early 1990s and earned both the SRA and AI-RRS designations from the Appraisal Institute.  Karen was a valued mentor and consultant to many over the years in her career both in New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Deeply kind and compassionate, Karen loved all animals and walked & hiked many miles over the years with the dogs who were part of her life’s journey. Of all her life’s adventures, she found being a Mom and friend the most fulfilling.
Best friend, travel buddy as well as mother to her adult son sustained them both through any trials life threw their way.

 

Honoring Karen’s life by donating to the CJD Foundation is a tribute set up to contribute to researching the rare, degenerative and fatal brain disorder which took her life with the hope that in the future others will not have to travel this path.