Karen Marie Fagelman

Karen Marie Fagelman passed away on the morning of January 7, 2025, at the Hershey Medical Center, from the deteriorating effects of diabetes and over a decade of end stage renal disease treated with hemodialysis. She was born on June 11, 1952, in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. She was the daughter of Mr. J.J. Janovich, who passed away in 2008, and Mrs. Marge Janovich, who survives Karen at the age of 99 years.

Karen graduated from the University of Virginia School of Nursing with a bachelor’s degree with honors in 1974. She worked at the University Hospital in the Pediatric unit, progressing to the position of Assistant Head Nurse her first year there. She met, and later married, Dr. Kerry Fagelman, who trained to become a pediatric surgeon. They settled in Central Pennsylvania in 1984. Her love for children, her empathy, compassion and nursing expertise were evident throughout her life.

In addition to her mother and her husband, Karen is survived by a son, Jeremy Fagelman and his wife, Lauren; grandsons, Reed and Maddox; a sister, Sharon Harrell; brother-in-law, Fred Fagelman and his wife, Nancy; a sister-in-law, Charlene and her husband, Jonathan; and numerous nieces and a nephew, cousins, aunts and uncles. She also leaves behind a very special friend and caregiver of 11 years, Djenabou Diallo.

Her deep capacity to love and care for others has been evident to all who’ve met her. She has been a fantastic nurse, an amazing mother and a wonderful wife. Her passing leaves us with a void in our lives, but our hearts are filled with her love and spirit. From Karen’s niece, Jessica: “This makes my heart so incredibly sad. Aunt Karen was truly the most beautiful woman inside and out, and my memories of her from childhood will forever be filled with her beautiful smile, the soft Chanel smell of her warm embrace, smuggling me candy at family events, and the beautiful, undeniable and true love that existed between her and Uncle Kerry. The way they looked at each other was like something out of the old Hollywood movies—and they were just beautiful together. I will never forget how excited she was to become a mother, and she was never more radiant than when she told me.”

A public visitation will be held at Parthemore Funeral Home & Cremation Services, New Cumberland, on Friday, January 17, 2025, from 11:30AM until a funeral service begins at 12:30PM. Burial will be private and held at the convenience of the family in Mechanicsburg Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Hershey Medical Center’s Penn State Children’s Hospital at www.pennstatehealth.org/childrens/giving, or to the Children’s Miracle Network at www.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org.