Karen Boshamer Colton

Karen Boshamer Colton lived a full and vibrant life that ended peacefully on Monday, April 17th, 2023, surrounded by her family. She repeatedly conquered impossible odds all the way up to the moment of her passing. Her sense of humor and adventure was renowned and undeniable. She was loved deeply by her husband, Craig, who she would in turn take great pains to embarrass publicly. She is survived by three beloved children, Doug, Liz, and Rusty, who would sing her praises nearly as loudly as she would sing her greatest hits around the house. Notable titles included "You're So Strange" by Carly Simon and "The Wind Cries Karen" by Jimi Hendrix. She was a hero to her family, who no doubt received from her their shared creativity and compassion. Her life was filled to the brim with friendship, laughter, and song.

By her account, Karen was sometimes born as late as 1970, though the official records show that she was born in Gastonia, North Carolina on October 4th, 1956. She was raised in Gastonia as well, graduating from Ashbrook High School in 1974 (this was also occasionally contested). She remained popular among her classmates, as evidenced by their joy at seeing her at class reunions. She and her siblings were raised to be passionate, skeptical, intelligent, and loving– values she would go on to embody as a sibling, wife, and mother.

Sometime later in 1985 in Charlotte, NC, Karen happened upon a vehicle, from under which a pair of cowboy boots protruded. These boots belonged, of course, to the great love of her life Craig Colton. After a five-year courtship, the two were married on October 13th 1990– a day Karen would frequently refer to as the best day of her life. Craig accepted Karen's first child, Stephen (Doug) as his own– and more were soon to follow. The newlywed's first child was born the following year at an astonishing 1.1lbs, with the doctors and local newspapers calling her a "miracle baby." They named her Elizabeth (Liz), after Karen's late sister. Two years later, Russell (Rusty) was born, completing the family unit that would yell to each other over the television for the rest of Karen's days.

The love, warmth, and patience that Karen extended to her family bordered on saintly. Between school, extracurriculars, homework, and general adolescent tomfoolery, she somehow managed to find time to have a hot, home cooked meal on the table nearly every single night. The only exceptions being when the children would band together and demand Chinese food or pizza. Also noteworthy was her ability to get each of her children where they needed to be, which was frequently several places at once. She relished the drives across town– each one another 10 or 15 minutes to make her children laugh with another story, joke, or song. The worse the traffic the better.

To know Karen was to love her. To befriend her was to gain a lifelong, loyal guardian and confidant. She gave everything she had to her loving friends and family and would not have had it any other way. There was an ease to her personality that portrayed perhaps her greatest superpower: her will and ability to connect meaningfully with others. In her many daily interpersonal interactions, she never failed to see the individual in front of her as a person with a life as full and rich as her own.

Karen is preceded in death by her mother, Margaret Boshamer; her father, Clarence "Wilson" Boshamer; and her little sister Beth. In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her loving sister Katherine (Van Miller) and her thoughtful brothers, Tom and Clarence, as well as her nieces Katie and Sarah, and her nephew Zach.

There will be a celebration of Karen's life on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at 10:30 am, at City Church Fairview Campus-- 2782 Fairview Drive, Gastonia, NC 28052.

Condolences may be made online at:  www.greenefuneral.com