Karen Sue Claton

On May 10, 2024, Karen Claton of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina passed away at home with her family lovingly by her side after a battle against cancer.
Born November 12, 1948 in Moline, Illinois, she is survived by her husband of 55 years, Larry Claton; son Sean Claton (wife Denise); grandsons Liam Claton (fiancée Katie Neff) and Kellen Claton; sister Shirley Taulbee; sister-in-laws Sharon McAllister and Merry Beverlin; and many nieces, nephews and close friends.
Karen was preceded in death by her daughter Courtney Claton; brothers Kenneth Beverlin and Jerry Beverlin; and sister Nancy Howenstine.
It is important to recall how Karen lived and loved life. She lived authentically with a forthright attitude, headstrong will, and strong faith, embracing each opportunity to learn, stay active, advocate for others, and last but not least, nurture family and friendships. She experienced tragedy in her life, but did not let that define her.
A voracious reader and seeker of knowledge, Karen would read anything and everything in the middle of the night, turning her insomnia into an opportunity to learn. Wasting time was not something Karen did. Rather, she used this time to read up on world events, financial markets and investing, plants and gardening, a host of fiction and nonfiction books, and anything else that triggered an interest. When talking with Karen, if a fact was questioned, she would often challenge with a smile, "Want to bet a dollar?" Lucky for us, she never collected her winnings.
Karen was passionate about being active and moving. She ran both marathons and half-marathons over 5 decades. Her most talked about races had nothing to do with distance or personal accomplishments, but rather family. Running together in her son Sean's first 10K race when he was 7 years old and running with her grandson Liam in his first 5K race at 5 years old topped her list. Karen was also an avid walker, tennis player, and golfer, participating in both social and competitive leagues.
When her daughter Courtney was born with special needs, Karen became a strong advocate for this community at local, state and federal levels, championing the right for inclusion and opportunity. She gave her time generously to numerous non-profit agencies throughout her life in both volunteer and leadership roles.
When her daughter Courtney suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in 1997, Karen began coordinating a lasting memorial in her honor. A lifelong gardener, she created a large accessible public garden in Hollidaysburg, PA where people of all ages and abilities come together to enjoy the beauty of nature. Today, Discovery Garden remains a unique partnership among the Hollidaysburg Area Women's Club, Blair County Garden Club, Borough of Hollidaysburg, The Skills Foundation, and a community of volunteers.
Karen's main joy in life was nurturing relationships and friendships. While Karen and Larry never lived close to family, they invested time and effort to be present in the lives of those they loved. Karen, "Grammie" to her grandsons, was present for their births, birthdays, vacation adventures, and a variety of sporting events, especially outdoor soccer matches in downpours. It did not matter to Grammie. She wasn't going to miss being part of their lives. The same was true for all of her family and friends, always taking time to travel, call, or write to stay connected on what was going on in their lives.
When Karen and Larry moved to Moss Creek in 2016, Karen told Larry that they needed to work quickly to make friends "because we're old". And in Moss Creek, like in every place they have lived, Karen found kindred spirits and lasting friendships.
When Karen was diagnosed with colon cancer in May of 2022, she admitted that while it wasn't the journey anyone would ever choose, she was blessed with the most amazing support from friends and family. She shared that she felt a "bit like a penguin" because in nature, when a penguin is sick or injured, the rest of the penguin colony surrounds the sick penguin and props it up until it is better and can walk on its own. The love and support Karen received from her entire "penguin colony" during her illness was a beautiful testament to the love she gave.
Like everything in life, Karen faced her health challenge with the same forthright attitude, headstrong will, and strong faith she lived life by, not afraid of death, but doing all she could to be with us on earth for as long as she could.
A celebration of life gathering will take place later this Fall in Moss Creek, SC to provide a time for sharing fond memories. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Discovery Garden or the Moss Creek Endowment Fund. For donations to Discovery Garden go to www.discoverygardenpa.com or send a check to Discovery Garden c/o The Skills Foundation, 341 Science Park Road, Suite 6, State College, PA 16803. For donations to Moss Creek Charitable Fund go to www.lowcountry.fcsuite.com Moss Creek Endowment Fund or send a check to Moss Creek Endowment Fund, 1523 Fording Island Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926.