Janet Patricia Karick passes away at 64, devoted to family, friends

Posted

There’s a lady who’s sure, all that glitters is gold and on March 12, 2023, surrounded by her loving family at home, Janet Patricia Karick went to dance along the light of day after her brave and hard fought 15-month battle with cervical cancer.

She is survived by the love of her life and soul mate, Robert “Bob” Karick; a daughter, Mary Karick; a son, Robert Karick; a grandson, Bradly Lowe; her mother, Patricia Johnstone; her siblings and best friends, Ruth Benzin (Mark), Anne Benedict (Glenn), Jim Ireton Jr. (Ryan); a niece, Catherine Benzin; and nephews, Patrick Miller and Matthew Benzin. She was preceded in death by her mother- and father-in-law, Bill and Florence Kline; a sister-in-law, Linda Miller; and stepfather, David Johnstone.

Gracing this world with her presence on Aug. 29, 1958, at the Naval Base in Norfolk, she was a Navy brat moving around the East Coast, before settling in Salisbury in 1970, the place she would call home for the rest of her days.

She was 16 when she fell in love with the long-haired hippie with whom she would make her life. They wed on March 19, 1983, and moved to Eden in 1985, where they would raise their children before moving back to Salisbury in 2013.

Most of her favorite moments were spent with Bob anywhere. From the grocery store to Duck, N.C., there wasn’t much she loved more than spending time with him.

Her children were so lucky to have her as their mom. You could always find her in the background, volunteering at school functions and swim meets, sewing on Boy Scout patches and making costumes for school events.

She was so involved with her children and their passions; she took on the responsibility of being the Elks Pool Manager in summer 2001. Even to their chagrin, she couldn’t wait to wake them up with a smile and a song. Not only was she their mom, but a mom to their many friends as well.

With her siblings, they could be found singing and dancing everywhere. There were no secrets between them and thick as thieves is a gross understatement. You rarely found one without the other three from family outings and events to random Friday nights. Janet shared a close bond with her mother, and they could often be found beading at the Ocean City Library.

Graduating with the infamous Bennett High School Class of 1976, she was in high school when she found a passion for sewing. This became her lifelong career with a talent that was untouched on the Lower Eastern Shore. From a simple hem on suit pants to intricate alterations on the most extravagant wedding dresses, Janet was the go-to. From Custom Sewing and Alterations to Men’s Warehouse, her enthusiasm for her craft constantly shined through in her work.

Periodically, she would allow her love of herbs and vegetation to reign supreme in her career path. As Assistant Head Groundskeeper of Peninsula General Hospital, her favorite time of year was winter when she would get to operate the heavy machinery to plow the lots for patients and staff. From the time she graduated, Benedict’s Garden Center was the job she would call her favorite.

On any given day you would find her talking and singing to the plants in the yard while she was watering them.

She loved to volunteer and signed up for it all. She loved being a Hebron Lion, and you could find her pouring soda at the Hebron Carnival, peeling sweet potatoes for Pie Days, or pouring beer at concerts and the Good Beer Festival at Pemberton. With the Friends of the Ocean City Library, she would spend her spare time buying every bead in sight to make bracelets. For many years, she sewed all the patches onto uniforms for Boy Scout Troop No. 817.

Grandmom may have been her favorite title. From the time he was born, Bradly was the twinkle in Janet’s eye and her favorite part of the day. Whether picking him up from school, hunting ghost crabs in OBX, or hanging out on the sidelines for countless hours during sporting events, their relationship was one to be cherished.

If you want to, you can look for her in a sunrise where the dawn meets the ocean. Or perhaps deep in the jungle of Guatemala enjoying the local celebrations and foliage.

She could also be found in the melody of any Led Zeppelin song and definitely in your flower beds or vegetable gardens. We know for sure that she made it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded. Wherever you choose to look for her, please don’t cry because she is gone; instead, be happy that she was here, and you got a chance to know and love her too.

Her family wishes to celebrate her life on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at the Elks Lodge in Salisbury at 1 p.m. Donations can be made to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, helping to find a cure for cervical cancer.

Members and subscribers make this story possible.
You can help support non-partisan, community journalism.

x
X