Sonia Karlin

1930 - 2020

Karlin, Sonia WINTER GARDEN, Fla. Sonia Karlin, 90, passed away in her sleep July 31, 2020, at the Sonata West assisted living center and hospice following an 18 month battle with cancer. She was born in 1930 in Philadelphia to the late Jack and Florence Konowitch of Wildwood Crest, N.J.. She is predeceased by her late husband Arthur Karlin, who passed away in 2001 in Boca Raton, Fla. Sonia is survived by her son, Richard and wife, Ruth of Delmar, N.Y.; daughters, Lisa Dennis of Winter Garden and Nora Farrell and her husband Nick of Winter Garden; as well as eight grandchildren. She was also sister to Jay Konowitch, who predeceased her in 2012. Sonia was raised in Wildwood, N.J. where her family operated a grocery store and later an auto and truck dealership. She graduated from Beaver College in Pennsylvania and Parsons School of Design in New York City. After college she worked as a fashion illustrator before raising her family in Queens and then in South Spring Valley, N.Y., now known as Chestnut Ridge. Sonia loved art and literature, a love which she instilled in her children with trips to museums in New York City as well as her constant suggestions on books to read. She also was an accomplished sculptor and potter, frequently making and selling award-winning plates, bowls and cups of her own design known for their unique color patterns. She also taught pottery classes in Florida. Sonia was also a charter member of Temple Beth Am in Pearl River. Proficient in Braille, she volunteered her services to translate books for the blind and she volunteered with Meals on Wheels in Spring Valley, delivering food to those who couldn't leave their homes. Sonia until recently also knitted hats for babies who were hospitalized. She also traveled widely, making frequent visits to Mexico as well as trips through Europe, China, Australia and Egypt over the years. Sonia was an anchor for her extended family which traces some of its roots to the Alliance Colony farming community in southern New Jersey. She was involved in several large family reunions and functions over the years. And she cared for her late husband Arthur, a World War II veteran as he battled a lengthy battle with cancer stemming from radiation exposure in Nagasaki, Japan. In addition to her art work, Sonia took up golf in her later years and was a member of a "Duffers" club in Clermont, Fla. before moving to an assisted living center in 2019. After cremation she will be interned with the ashes of Arthur in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla. Funeral arrangements are pending due to the COVID-19 pandemic.