Karen Marter, age 80, passed away peacefully August 2020 due to cancer. Karen was a member of the SYV Hiking Group for 16 years. She was also a gourmet cook, a hostess extraordinaire and a gardener with a “bright green thumb.” Dogs have always been her companions from her German Shepherd Campi to her three rescue dogs …. K.C., Gracie and Charlie.
Karen was born in Holland, Michigan; graduated from Lyndonville CHS in 1958; attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan for 2 years and spent 1 fabulous year in Spain at the University of Madrid. She later graduated from NYU with a BA in Spanish. She taught high school in Rochester, NY for a semester. From 1962-1964 Karen served as a member of the Peace Corps in Costa Rica where she gained a new family for the rest of her life. Returning to the USA, she moved to New Mexico and became District Advisor for the GSA. To quote Karen “I not only quit, I escaped” as she enthusiastically told her story. She moved to California and waitressed until she obtained a position as a Spanish teacher at La Colina Jr. High where she worked until retirement in 1995. While there, she was given the Teacher of the Year Award.
In 1986, she married Howard (Toby) Marter and moved to Santa Ynez into the house her loving architect husband designed. Karen is survived by her brother and his wife, John and Peggy and her sister Margaret Banks. Karen has two nieces and four (and counting) great-nieces and nephews. Also surviving Karen are Toby’s two sons, Chris Marter and Michael Marter, who between them have seven children.
There will be no memorial service as per Karen’s wishes. She was a wonderful person who had a zest for life and befriended all she met. The family believes that Karen would have wished any donation be given to an animal shelter in her name.
