Dr. Karen Sue Wilson

Dr. Karen (Buggs) Wilson, former First Lady of San Ramon and the first Woman of Color to open her own dental practice in the Tri-Valley Area, died on July 26, 2023, in San Ramon after a brief illness. She was 75.Dr. Wilson practiced dentistry in Livermore for about 15 years before retiring in the late 1990s. She served as First Lady of San Ramon in the early 2000s, when her husband, Hon. H. Abram Wilson, became the first elected mayor of San Ramon. The couple, who were married more than 50 years, had lived in San Ramon since the late 1970s.Karen Sue Buggs was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of two daughters born to Phillip Chester and Ruth Marie (Ferguson) Buggs (her sister was Barbara Jean White), Karen graduated from Walnut Hills High School and then earned her Bachelor of Science from HBCU Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where she graduated summa cum laude. She attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., where she studied medical technology. Dr. Wilson worked as a medical technologist for several years at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City and in San Francisco until, after marrying and becoming a mother, she enrolled in dental school at UCSF. There, she was awarded a Regents Scholarship, one of the highest honors conferred on a UC student. She completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1982, and she opened a solo practice the following year in Livermore.The Wilsons wed in 1973. They lived in San Francisco before moving to San Ramon, where they bought a house near California High School. They welcomed daughter Natausha Alise in 1975 and son Philip Nathan in 1983.During her undergraduate years, Dr. Wilson pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and remained a proud member throughout her life, earning the designation of Golden Member after 50 years with the esteemed organization. Dr. Wilson also served as one of the founding members of the Contra Costa County chapter of Jack & Jill of America Inc. and was later recognized with the Trailblazer Award for her many contributions. She was active in the Bay Area with The Links Inc., an organization for top Black professional women across the U.S. In her later years, Dr. Wilson was a beloved Archousa of Epsilon Beta Boule, the oldest fraternity focused on African American heritage.In San Ramon, she helped found and organize jazz concerts at the San Ramon Library. Dr. Wilson also organized the first Black History Month program for the city in the mid-1990s, featuring a musical performance from Stanford's Talisman A Cappella, which included daughter Natausha. In retirement, she adopted two small Maltese mixes, Giggy and Romeo.Above all, she loved her five grandchildren. She cherished holidays, when the extended family gathered together, and she was an intensely proud mother, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and mother-in-law.She is survived by her husband, H. Abram; her children Natausha (Aaron Cruz) and Nathan (Jenna Rohde); grandchildren Marlo, Carver, Nellie, Cecilia and Oaklee; brother-in-law Robert E. Wilson of Ohio; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, their children and many friends that were as close as family.The celebration of life will be held in San Ramon in September. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to: The Asher House animal rescue organization (https://www.theasherhouse.com/).