Karen Knaub

1944 - 2022

Karen Knaub
January 25, 1944 - March 30, 2022
Wichita, Kansas - Karen Elaine Knaub, 78, of Wichita, KS, and formerly Yarmouth Port, MA, passed away on March 30, 2022, after a brief, but fierce battle with cancer.
A talented weaver, artist, textile designer, florist and gardener, Karen lived a distinctive, dynamic life while pursuing her creative passions. She took pride in her family, creative work, and her work at community and non-profit organizations. Karen shared her wealth of knowledge and abundance of talent to bring joy and beauty to her community and to inspire others to follow their own paths.
Karen is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Donald E. Knaub; son Zackary Knaub and his wife Heather, and grandchildren Quinn and Otto of Albany, NY; daughter Andrea Palmer and her husband Chris, and grandson Dean of Wichita, KS. She is also survived by her brother Arthur D. Palmer and his wife Marilyn of White Lake, MI; niece Lisa and her husband James Grenier; nephew Kevin Palmer and his wife Alisa, and their daughter Sophia; cousin Kathryn McDonald and her husband Brian of Beverly Hills, MI; cousin Laura Hakim Morales of Albuquerque, NM; and several more cousins. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Mildred and Vernon Palmer, and her aunt Shirley and uncle Bill Palmer.
Karen was born in Detroit, MI on January 25, 1944 to Mildred and Vernon Palmer. Of Hungarian Jewish descent, her mother was a milliner, and her father was a U.S. Army Air Corps sergeant who served as a B17 waist gunner during WWII. Karen grew up with her younger brother Arthur and her beloved cousins, aunt, uncle and grandparents. Experiencing the energy, activism, and Motown music of Detroit in the 1960s, Karen never shied away from standing up for important causes and also enjoyed dancing on American Bandstand.
After graduating high school in 1961, she earned her Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and went on to postgraduate studies in Fine Arts at Temple University in Rome, Italy.
She became interested in the fiber arts and feminist movement of the 60s and 70s, and in 1970, was awarded a visual artist residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, NM. There, she focused on creating exuberant large scale weavings that went beyond craft to high art.
She met the love of her life, Donald, while working at the Wayne State College bookstore. Don was visiting Detroit from NYC with a mutual friend. Later, after Karen visited NYC to attend a peace march during the Vietnam War, she and Don were reacquainted and kept in touch, sharing a long distance friendship. Finally, after their first date at a tea garden in San Francisco, Karen read her fortune cookie that declared, "You will be married soon." Prompted by the fortuitous cookie, Don convinced Karen that he was the right choice. They married in Detroit in June 1970.
After marrying, their careers took them all over the map. Moving from Detroit to Davis, CA where Zackary was born, and later to La Brea, CA, where Andrea was born. Then, the family moved to Huntsville, AL where Karen designed custom fabrics for artist Betty Grisham. Huntsville is where Don started his career as an art museum director which then prompted their next move to Dallas, TX, and then to Wichita, KS. In Wichita, Karen enjoyed one of her favorite jobs as Volunteer Coordinator for the Sedgwick County Zoo.
Following a couple of years in Albany, CA, Don and Karen settled in Yarmouth Port, MA where Karen became interested in floral design, jewelry making, and garden design. She joined the Garden Club of Hyannis and developed her skills as a floral designer and gardener which gave her great pleasure. She competed in floral design competitions including local fairs and the Boston Flower & Garden Show. She received many high awards and had her work shown several times at Boston's Museum of Fine Art's "Art in Bloom." Eventually, Karen became a certified competition judge and started a business with her friend Dolores, designing floral arrangements for special events. In addition, Karen crafted jewelry that was sold at Directions in Hyannis as "wearable art." Also, during her time on the Cape, Karen worked for the Visiting Nurse Association, and Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod.
In 2018, Karen and Don moved back to Wichita to retire near their daughter's family. Karen worked at Dillon's Marketplace as a floral designer until the fall of 2021, when she was diagnosed with cancer.
A force of nature, Karen will be greatly missed by family and friends. Her family is forever grateful for her love, vibrant energy and the beauty and richness she brought to their lives. Many thanks to Heather and the care team at Phoenix Home Care & Hospice. If you would like to make a gift in Karen's honor, please direct donations to Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd., Wichita, KS, 67212 or on the web at www.scz.org.