Cheryl Karp Ward

A life filled with adventure, laughter, and love came to a peaceful end as Cheryl Karp Ward took her final journey.

Born in Hartford, CT, on January 26, 1947, as Cheryl Anne Karp, she passed away surrounded by loved ones on September 16, 2025, after a valiant two-year battle with metastatic lung cancer.

Like a best-selling book, Cheryl's life was a true page-turner-each chapter bringing new experiences and purpose. A devoted mother, grandmother, partner, and friend, she was known for her vibrant spirit, dramatic flair and iconic style. Everywhere she went, she built meaningful connections and left behind unforgettable memories.

Cheryl grew up in Suffield, CT, alongside her parents, James Karp and Mary Wagner Young Karp, two sisters-Janice Karp McConnell and Gail Karp Shinners-and her Polish immigrant grandparents, Stanley and Marya Klara Karp, who lived next door on the family farm with her Uncle Frank. From them, she absorbed traditions from the homeland that she carried proudly throughout her life. As the middle child, she leaned into the role with humor-never missing a chance to remind her sisters of it. She loved being from Suffield, celebrated her 60th high school reunion last year, and had a core group of classmates she cherished and enjoyed golfing with.

Growing up, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. After receiving her bachelor's degree in English at Rider College, she came back to Connecticut where she got her master's in teaching from the University of Hartford. In class she met Nancy Iskra, another "cute young thing" who bonded over charming their professors with lunch (and wine) becoming a lifelong friend.

Her career as an educator began in Hartford and then Windsor Locks, where she met her children's father, who was also a teacher, and built friendships among her fellow educators. As a newly single mom of two, Cheryl continued to push herself professionally, earning a second master's degree in library science from the Central Connecticut State University while building a modernized Windsor Locks Middle School library. When her refusal to censor books led to a punitive transfer, she fought back with a bold lawsuit that cemented her as a lifelong advocate against book banning.

Cheryl later brought her vision and energy to East Hartford High School, where she transformed the library into a hub of technology, diversity, and inclusivity-ensuring every student could see themselves on its shelves.

Her passion for books extended beyond the classroom. A dedicated member of the American Library Association, she served on multiple committees for Young Adult literature, with her role as chair of the Michael L. Printz Award committee being a highlight of her ALA career. Determined to stay at the forefront of her field, she self-funded many of these conference trips across the country when her school system wouldn't. There she developed a like-minded group of literary friends, and her itinerary was always packed with publisher parties and award celebrations.

At home, Cheryl poured that same dedication into her community, serving for years on the Warehouse Point Library Board-even continuing her work while battling cancer.

When she retired from public schools in 2006, Cheryl wasn't ready to slow down. She took a position with Ingram Publishing in Nashville, TN, and-with her soul cat Duke by her side-embraced a new adventure. Living downtown, she immersed herself in live country music, art galleries, and a lively circle of friends. Cheryl also enjoyed quiet country weekends away at her musician cousin Peter Karp's home in Leiper's Fork. That year of her life remained one of her most cherished.

Cheryl considered herself a lifelong librarian, even in retirement. She always gifted the greatest books and her signed collection is legendary. She kept her mind sharp by writing book reviews throughout her 19 years of retirement. The pay was peanuts, but she just loved having a connection to the book world. She also enjoyed that it kept her on the list for publisher events in New York, where she admired the community-and the great catering and wine.

Though her professional accomplishments were impressive, her proudest achievement was becoming a mother to her children, Dan Patrick Ward and Sarah Karp Ward. A supportive and loving parent, Cheryl was the best mom-the mom her kids' friends also wanted to be friends with. Her Instagram handle was @mommakdubbs, because that was her name to so many, and she loved it. Then she became Bubu (a name given to her by her oldest grandchild) and her "grandgirlies," Kalina Marie, Emily Jocelyn and Mollie Rose Ward, and Sunny Karp Lakha, were her world. Cheryl loved spending as much time as she could with them and enjoyed bringing them to museums, farms, going out for special meals, and attending their games, concerts, and performances. Her inspiring cancer fight was driven by having more time with the four of them. For the last two years, weekly Sunday pancake breakfasts became a cherished tradition with her children, grandchildren, and family dogs.

Cheryl and her daughter Sarah's relationship was beyond mother-daughter. They were best friends. For the 20 years that Sarah lived away, Cheryl frequently visited her in New York, Montreal, and Jersey City, and they went on incredible trips in the U.S. and abroad. She couldn't wait for Sarah to become a mother herself and began buying books for her future grandchild years before she was conceived. When Sunny was born, Sarah and her husband, Parvez, honored Cheryl by giving her the middle name Karp.

Cheryl's son, Dan, lived with her throughout her illness and became her primary caretaker. She often said how loved she felt by these actions. Cheryl was also deeply proud that Dan had joined her in a love of long-distance running, carrying on one of her greatest joys in life. His three beautiful daughters stayed at the house with them on weekends, bringing so much positivity and energy with them. Cheryl was always a cat person, but when Dan's sweet dog, Wiley, moved in, he became her favorite companion. She loved taking him on long walks and the two of them enjoyed their afternoon naps together. Wiley frequently bossed her around-and she loved it.

In addition to her children, Cheryl had a special bond with her son-in-law, Parvez Lakha, and loved his jokes and especially his cooking. To him, she was always the best listener and supporter. She also cherished her relationship with her granddaughters' mother, Susan Piechowicz, Dan's partner Steph Burke, and her children's in-laws, the Piechowicz, Lakha, and Nanyi families. Cheryl also enjoyed years of holidays with the Weidners (or as her mom/Mimi used to call them, the Wagners), who became chosen family.

Through PTO at Cheryl's children's elementary school and swim lessons at the town reservoir, she made a lifelong "mom crew" in East Windsor consisting of her BFF Mary Beth Nilsson, unofficial sister Lucy Weidner, Jean Wittke, and Donna Pitney. They always had a blast at Nilsson BBQs, often went on big group dates, and enjoyed trips together to Vermont. These beautiful women provided her companionship, care, and support during her final months. She also loved her book club ladies, consisting of friends and their adult children.

Cheryl found her great love, James Borrup, later in life, and the two of them spent over a decade together traveling the world-from extended stays in Key West, dogsledding in Jackson Hole and driving (and hiking throughout) the historic Route 66 to a cruise to Cuba, cross-country adventure in Costa Rica, traveling around France on a boat and their final international trip to Denmark-and going on countless dinner dates. It was a bonus that he was a skilled contractor who added countless beautiful improvements to her Broad Brook home that she loved so much. And over the last two years, Jim was an incredible and loving partner, standing by her side through her cancer diagnosis and many medical challenges.

Other than books and her family, there were a few things Cheryl had a passion for: the beach, working out, theater, and art.

As a child, she spent her summers at Hawk's Nest Beach in Old Lyme, CT with her parents and sisters. Staying at a cottage in the same beach community the last two years with her children and their children was an incredibly special experience. From the Connecticut shoreline with Mary Beth to Martha's Vineyard with Nancy, she loved a New England beach trip with her girlfriends.

Before her illness, Cheryl was incredibly active. An avid runner for decades, she was frequently spotted all over town. After an injury left her unable to run, she began attending fitness classes five or six mornings per week with her workout buddies, Elaine Smith and Martha Fahey. In the afternoons she would walk for miles, often stopping by her beau Jim's for a potato chip break. On snow days, she'd walk from her home to Mary Beth's to watch The Bold and the Beautiful and enjoy a glass (or two) of wine. Any vacation she took included lots of walking, whether it was hiking across New Zealand, the Great Wall of China, or Machu Picchu in Peru.

As a former school drama director, Cheryl had a deep love of the theater. She held a membership to TheaterWorks in Hartford with her friend Lucy for decades, and she never missed an opportunity to hop the train to New York for a Broadway show.

From galleries of world-renowned museums to local street artists she encountered on her travels, Cheryl could not get enough art in her life. Her home became a gallery itself, with unique pieces throughout every room. Her bold, colorful personality shone through her walls and bookshelves. She especially loved paintings from her artist niece, Kelly McConnell. Cheryl loved walking guests around with a glass of wine in hand, explaining her wonderful collection.

A natural leader and the family matriarch, Cheryl had a gift for keeping relatives near and far connected. She was the driving force behind countless gatherings and celebrations and always made sure the family burial plots were well cared for with beautiful flowers. The hole she is leaving will be impossible to fill.

Her relationship with her sisters, Janice and Gail, and their cousin, Susie Boggia Karp, was truly special. Living in different places as adults, they always made a point to stay close and enjoyed trips together to Florida, Vermont, St. John, and back home in Connecticut. When they were together there was lots of laughing, singing, and dancing.

In addition to the family mentioned above, she will be missed by her cousins including Michael Karp and Charlie Quirk, sisters-in-law Susan Ward O'Dell and Elaine Szwed Ward, and nieces and nephews Kelly McConnell, Sophie Priddy, Bill McConnell, AJ Shinners, Forrest Shinners, Megan Boggia Voytus, Philip Boggia, James Karp, Courtney Karp, Derek O'Dell, and Erin O'Dell Loizides, along with their spouses and children, her children's friends including their best friends (her second children), Matthew Wright and Jamie Julian, and countless friends, coworkers, classmates, and workout buddies.

Cheryl is predeceased by her friends Mimi Lynch and Barbara McCue, who came to her with her own mother in a vision during her first radiation treatment. Their presence, and how they fought their own cancer battles, gave her the additional strength to fight as hard as she did.

Please consider honoring Cheryl with a donation to:

Warehouse Point Public Library

Unite Against Banned Books

Please mention Cheryl Karp Ward in the memo/memorial section on their donation webpages.

The family will be holding a Celebration of Life for Cheryl on Sunday, October 19 at Worthington Vineyards & Winery in Somers, CT from 1-4pm during her favorite season. Please join us while we toast with her favorite beverage to a life well lived. RSVP to pp.events/cherylkarpward

We'd like to leave you with a few of Cheryl's favorite lines:

"If it ain't one thing, it's a mother."

"Don't forget a hat."

"My bags can be packed in two minutes."

"I went through the gates of hell and back bearing you."

"You never know how many falls you get."