Karen Sue Wavering's Obituary
Karen Sue Wavering, of Fayetteville, AR died Tuesday, February 4, 2014 in Fayetteville. Born January 10, 1947 in Quincy, Illinois, she was the daughter of Walter and Edith (Glass) Detrick. She married Quincyan Michael James Wavering June 7, 1974 in Quincy College chapel. They renewed their vows March 1998 at Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas with The Rev. Elvis Presley (Norm) officiating.
Mrs. Wavering held a B. A. from Valparaiso University, a MALS from Rosary College (Dominican University) and prior to becoming ill, completed the course work for a doctorate from the University of Arkansas. She served as a Reference-Public Relations Consultant for Great River Library System; assistant director of alumni-development at Quincy College where she publicized and helped coordinate events including Alumni weekend and the Madrigal Dinner; and director of a Kentucky public library system and a corporate multi-library system.
A verbose grammarian, Mrs. Wavering edited newsletters, textbooks, scholarly journal articles and doctoral dissertations. She relished deleting other people’s words!
Mrs. Wavering referred to her encyclopedic mind, in a horrible French accent, as a “garbage container of useless important information.” After having been “Suzy Sorority” at Valparaiso University, she got her act together and became a life-long learner.
Because of her public relations and organizational skills, Mrs. Wavering was asked to serve on the charitable boards of directors including serving as president of the 8,000 member Eastern Kentucky University Women. Her most rewarding experience was in theu 1990s when, for three years, she was a full-time volunteer for the Washington County AIDS Task Force. She coordinated public relations and fund-raising events while serving consecutively as secretary, vice-president and president of its board.
Dr. and Mrs. Wavering possessed a mutual love and respect that grew daily. Friends said they had never met a couple whom so thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.
Dr. Wavering described his wife as “spunky, with cute and clever ways.” Upon meeting Karen, people invariably commented on two traits: her sense of humor and her warmth and kindness. After she was diagnosed in the late 1990s with lupus and scleroderma, a friend told her husband, “Karen taught me the true meaning of friendship. I know that even if I had not talked to her for decades, if I needed help, she would take the next plane out, no questions asked.”
Karen displayed her spunkiness in numerous ways. For example, when she was singularly selected out of over 3,000 international travelers to be detained in a Moscow airport, as she was led away by Soviet officials she smiled to her horrified husband and said, “Don’t worry honey, I have credit cards.” Her fellow travelers joked that the Russians did not know what they had gotten into. The Soviet Union fell two weeks later …
Mrs. Wavering was a gourmet cook, avid reader and enjoyed music ranging from Broadway musicals to Russian composers. She loved 1960s rock and roll and, much to the chagrin of her nephew Kreig and friends, was frequently able to work the lyrics into conversations. A well-known klutz, she appreciated watching the talents of professional athletes.
Mrs. Wavering hated hypocrisy; she loved curmudgeons. She struggled her entire life to understand man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man. Her favorite quote, by Father Jean Baptist Henri Lacordaire, was, “Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that.”
She is survived by her husband, her sister and brother-in-law Sandy and Keith Koehler of Basco, IL; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law Cindy and Dr. Ed Unger of Chicago; a brother-in-law Pat Wavering of Missoula, MT; and two nieces and three nephews. Mrs. Wavering’s Father, cherished Mother and beloved Grandma Edna Glass predeceased her. She was a life-long member of Luther Memorial Church.
In lieu of a memorial service, Mrs. Wavering requested that friends take someone they love to dinner, tell him or her how much they care, and have a joyously good time. Her father was a well-known marine diver, and she was happiest near water. Her ashes will be scattered at her husband’s favorite trout stream. A gathering will be held at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Washington County Humane Society or the Arthritis Foundation.
A celebration of life will be held 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at Moore's Chapel.
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