Honoring the Memory
of Those
We Love

Age 64, of Myrtle Beach, SC, formerly from Penn Hills, on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Karen battled Melanoma Cancer for 2+ years, but passed peacefully with family and the help of hospice care. Beloved wife of nearly 40 years to Richard; loving mother of Christina (Jacob) Powell; loving grandmother of Delaney Powell; sister of Mary Abt (Ave Gaffney), Jacqueline (John) Schilling, Lois (Sigmund) Baj, Karl (Mary) Abt, Eric Abt, Kristofer (Steffanie) Abt and Nathan (Tara) Abt; sister-in law of Carol Stirone; loving aunt and great-aunt to many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by brother Sylvester George Abt III, and Kurt Abt, and parents DeSales (Bright) Abt and George Sylvester Abt. Karen and Rick met just before senior prom in 1978 and they were together ever since. After Rick graduated from Penn State, they began life’s journey and moved to New Jersey, California, Ohio, Maryland, Mechanicsburg PA making friends along the way. Christina was born in CA, and Karen spent her childhood being “Super MOM”. They eventually retired to Myrtle Beach SC in 2014 as living at the beach was Karen’s dream. In the years following, Karen was able to see Christina also graduate from Penn State, travel to Italy, celebrate Christina and Jake’s wedding in 2021, and most recently the birth of beautiful granddaughter Delaney Mae in November 2022. Karen and Rick were active in the Myrtle Beach Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association with Karen being “First Lady” while Rick served as President. In June of 2022, Karen and many friends participated in the Pittsburgh Melanoma Walk as a “Survivor” of what seemed to be successful treatment at the time. Friends will be received at the John F. Slater Funeral Home, Inc., 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood 15227 on Thursday, March 16, 2023 from 2-8 p.m. Funeral prayer on Friday morning at 9:45. Mass of Christian Burial in Our Lady of Hope Parish, St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church at 10:30 a.m. Per Karen’s wishes she will be cremated and some of her ashes spread in the Atlantic Ocean near her home in Myrtle Beach. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation , can be made “In honor of Karen Stirone, 2022 Survivor, 2023 Angel- RIP”.