Karen O’Hara
1949-2022
The family of Karen O’Hara, age 72, is heartbroken
that Karen, of Big Island, passed away in the Aberdeen Palliative Care
Unit on Feb. 2 due to a stroke.
Karen was born in Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 5, 1949, the eldest
daughter of Joseph and Jacqueline O’Hara.
She is survived by two sons, Oak O’Hara (Olivia),
and their sons, Wyatt and William of Melbourne, Florida and Aaron
O’Hara (Alesha) and their daughters, Charlie and Ayla of
Vancouver, Canada and by her three sisters, Sheila “Casey”
Gray, Eileen Mary Winkle, and Rita Ann O’Hara, nieces,
nephews, and many cousins, colleagues and devoted friends. She is also
survived by Jon Fisher of Moose River. She and Jon emigrated to Nova
Scotia in 1975.
Karen attended Ohio State University and graduated from
Dalhousie University with a degree in Social Work. Karen was a strong,
determined, fiercely independent feminist who cared deeply for
Women’s causes. She was a founder and the executive director
of Tearmann Society for almost 30 years. Please see
Tearmann’s lovely statement below, outlining her
work in this community.
Karen was a compassionate, loving, caring and kind
woman who loved life and a good laugh and tried to live every day to
the fullest. She was always active, walking, swimming in the Straight,
gardening, canning, kayaking, karaoke, reading, dancing, cooking,
doing yoga and hosting dinners and parties for her many, many
devoted friends. She loved traveling, trivia and new adventures. She
was cross-country skiing on the bay, the morning of her
stroke. Active to the very end!
She volunteered with the Museum of Industry and Big Sisters
which she loved, but most of all she deeply loved and doted on her
four grandchildren.
A celebration of her life will be held in mid-July, date to
be arranged.
Special thanks to the wonderful nurses at Aberdeen Palliative
Care Unit and to Dr Jeans and Dr Winston Makhan.
Donations in honor of Karen‘s life and work may be
given to Tearmann Society.
” She
was truly one of a kind and we will miss her radiant smile every
day.”
Statement from
Tearmann Society:
It is with profound sadness that the Staff and Board of
Tearmann Society announces the passing of Karen O’Hara.
Karen was a founding mother and served as
Tearmann’s Executive Director for 29 years. As a
young woman, Karen became involved with the Pictou County
Women’s Center and made many beautiful friendships and began
a journey of trailblazing alongside these
women.
Before there was a transition house in Pictou County, Karen
volunteered for the Battered Women’s Information Line.
She volunteered to answer the phones and support women
experiencing intimate partner violence- helping to find safe locations
for women and children to stay until women could be transferred to a
transition house in Halifax, and then later Cape Breton. It
was obvious to the women doing this work that a Transition House was
needed in Pictou County and in 1983 the work began. Tearmann
House opened its doors on October 15, 1984 with Karen at the helm.
She held the position of Executive Director until
2013.
Karen made many significant contributions to the Transition
House movement in Nova Scotia and represented Tearmann at the
Transition House Association of Nova Scotia (THANS).
Alongside her sisters at THANS, she was involved in many changes and
advancements including the creation of Emergency Protection Orders,
High Risk Protocols, protocols for working with Children’s
Aid/Child Welfare, and partnerships with local police departments.
Karen was the first in Pictou County to enter the schools to
help educate students about domestic violence. She later
partnered with New Leaf so Tearmann could enhance and continue this
educational program for several years. Karen worked
diligently with other Transition Houses to create Outreach positions
and Child and Youth Programs and to extend services to those who did
not stay in the shelters. She also joined the Pictou County Second
Stage Society to help provide families with longer term transitional
housing in the area where women could continue to live safely and
receive support. The list of achievements and contributions that Karen
made are truly endless. Karen was a true trailblazer and an
unsung hero in Nova Scotia.
Throughout her career with Tearmann Society for Abused Women,
Karen worked with and “femtored” (mentored) many women in
the work. She taught and modelled practical, grass roots
feminist perspectives. Karen cared deeply about Tearmann,
the staff and especially the women and children who accessed the
services. Karen modelled that Tearmann was a place where
clients could come and be empowered to make choices and be supported
in those choices. She taught that Tearmann House was not just a
shelter but a Home. It is a place where women and children
can find care, refuge and healing. Many lives have been
touched because of Karen’s dedication, her love of Tearmann
Society and the work we do. There will never be enough space
to adequately describe the impact that Karen has had in our
communities.
Karen loved to travel, garden, dance, sing and enjoy the
simple things in life. We are so blessed and thankful for
Karen O’Hara and the significance of her influence in our
lives.
We extend our deepest condolences to Oak, Aaron, her
grandchildren, as well as her sisters, Sheila, Rita and Eileen.
Thank you for sharing the best of your beloved Karen with
us. We know how much she loved you all.
Dearest Karen, we miss you and honor you. We will
cherish our time and memories with you and are forever grateful to you
for touching our lives.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Karen O’Hara 19492022..
Death notice for the town of: New-Glasgow, Province: Nova Scotia