Karen Marie Yaroma

Karen Marie Yaroma passed away peacefully at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with her family by her side. Karen was 72. Born and raised in Chicago, she moved to the Cleveland area with her first husband Werner at the age of 19. After the births of her daughters Lisa and Erika and her son Adam, she reentered the work force, initially pursuing activities with a retail grocer. Subsequent to her divorce and as an ambitious single mother, Karen sought to advance her education and provide opportunities for her advancement. She entered the medical field, as a phlebotomist and ultimately became a LPN (licensed practical nurse). She worked for two physicians, becoming the office manager for one of the practices as well as working at St. John Westshore Hospital. In later years, she also attained her realtor license and sold real estate in the Cleveland area. Karen remarried in 1992 to her current husband Ken Yaroma who had two sons from a previous marriage. They retired in 2004 and decided to split their time between their home in North Ridgeville Ohio and Florida. After a few years of this schedule, Karen wanted to move to a warmer part of the country and she and Ken subsequently moved to the Del Webb community in Bluffton South Carolina. With both she and Ken being socially gregarious, they quickly fit into the community making numerous friends and pursuing activities such as state affiliated resident clubs, golf, canasta and informal weekly social gatherings. She also greatly enjoyed sewing and dedicated a room of her home to pursue that activity. She was also an excellent cook and an avid collector or recipes. She had a keen sense of fashion and coordinating just the right look. She enjoyed travel and was a devotee of craft shows. Karen was a dedicated mother, grandmother and more recently a great grandmother. In 2016, she unfortunately was diagnosed with lymphoma of the brain and courageously fought a variety of medically related issues for over a year before finally succumbing. She was preceded in death by her son Brian and grandsons Justin and Jeremy, Karen is survived by her husband Ken, her daughters Lisa Stout and Erika (Steven) Wilson, son Adam Wittman (Joanne), step sons, Scott (Monica) Yaroma and Tim ( Elizabeth) Yaroma, Brother Thomas (Diana) Stamborski and grandchildren, Daniel, Austin Rofe , Austin Yaroma, Jax , Andrew, Matthew, Nicole, Joe, Ben, Alex, Jordan and great granddaughter Milliana.

The family will receive friends at 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at Sauls Funeral Home, 90 Simmonsville Rd., Bluffton, SC with an 11:00 am memorial service to follow.