Karen Blakey Fisher

Karen Blakey Fisher

CORNWALL - Karen Blakey Fisher, born on May 26, 1956, in Torrington, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on Oct. 9, 2024, at Hartford Hospital, Hartford Connecticut. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend who touched the lives of many with her infectious laughter and unwavering spirit.

Karen dedicated her life to her family and her passions. She and her husband, Gordon, spent countless hours nurturing their garden, sharing their love for flowers, and creating beautiful planters. An avid cook, she delighted in preparing meals for loved ones and cherished moments spent by the water, especially during family trips to Cape Cod. Karen was known for her adventurous spirit, often embarking on exciting outings with her daughter, Melissa, and granddaughter, Devyn. She had a remarkable ability to keep everyone entertained and was always the happiest person in the room.

Karen was a proud graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School and dedicated her professional life to helping others. After working in home healthcare, she and her sister, Lori, opened an environmentally conscious product store in Torrington. Later, she ran a deli in Cornwall, managing it from start to finish with her characteristic flair.

She is survived by her husband, Gordon Fisher; daughter, Melissa Root; granddaughter, Devyn Root; father, Gerald Blakey; mother, Patricia Benedict Blakey; brother, David Blakey; sister, Lori Blakey-Welles and her husband, David Welles; and cousin, Pamela Blakey-Hart. Karen’s legacy of love, laughter, and kindness will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Karen will be remembered by her family at a private burial service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the American Cancer Society, honoring Karen’s compassionate spirit and her desire to help others. Her favorite quote, “What are they going to do, take away your birthday?” will always remind us to celebrate life, just as she did.

The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.

Latest News

Employment Opportunities

LJMN Media, publisher of The Lakeville Journal (first published in 1897) and The Millerton News (first published in 1932), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization.

We seek to help readers make more informed decisions through comprehensive news coverage of communities in Northwest Connecticut and Eastern Dutchess County in New York.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selectmen suspend town clerk’s salary during absence

North Canaan Town Hall

Photo by Riley Klein

NORTH CANAAN — “If you’re not coming to work, why would you get paid?”

Selectman Craig Whiting asked his fellow selectmen this pointed question during a special meeting of the Board on March 12 discussing Town Clerk Jean Jacquier, who has been absent from work for more than a month. She was not present at the meeting.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dan Howe’s time machine
Dan Howe at the Kearcher-Monsell Gallery at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Natalia Zukerman

“Every picture begins with just a collection of good shapes,” said painter and illustrator Dan Howe, standing amid his paintings and drawings at the Kearcher-Monsell Gallery at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. The exhibit, which opened on Friday, March 7, and runs through April 10, spans decades and influences, from magazine illustration to portrait commissions to imagined worlds pulled from childhood nostalgia. The works — some luminous and grand, others intimate and quiet — show an artist whose technique is steeped in history, but whose sensibility is wholly his own.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, and trained at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Howe’s artistic foundation was built on rigorous, old-school principles. “Back then, art school was like boot camp,” he recalled. “You took figure drawing five days a week, three hours a day. They tried to weed people out, but it was good training.” That discipline led him to study under Tom Lovell, a renowned illustrator from the golden age of magazine art. “Lovell always said, ‘No amount of detail can save a picture that’s commonplace in design.’”

Keep ReadingShow less