Obituary of Karen Gail Trotter

Karen Gail Trotter passed away peacefully on May 23, 2018 after bravely surviving several major illnesses. She was born on September 20, 1943 in Columbia, South Carolina to Hobart and Ernestine Trotter.

As a child she loved spending summers in Florida with her parents, grandmother and cousins. Karen had a brilliant young mind and graduated from Dreher High School at the age of fifteen. She studied nursing at the University of South Carolina and then pursued a career in software consulting. Karen also had an amazing voice and loved to sing jazz and blues in many venues in Columbia. She was a member of the Junior Woman’s Club and always looked forward to bringing the house down with her annual performance in their fundraising event, Red Stockings Revue.

As a young woman, Karen was an avid golfer and won several Spring Valley Club championships. She was also a beloved basketball coach at St. Martins-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church for many years. Karen coached dozens of children during those years and they truly loved her, even when she used tough love to coach. She was a fantastic cook and happily shared her skills with her nieces and their friends for many years in her home and at their schools.

Karen had an incredible zest for life and took great pleasure in making others laugh with her sharp wit. She had a special love for children and was affectionately known as “Aunt Karen” to many. Her three nieces were always her number one priority and she loved nothing more than spending time with them, whether it was cooking, reading or just being together. Karen touched many lives and will be deeply missed by those who knew her.

She is survived by her brother, Hobart Trotter; sister-in-law and devoted caregiver, Patti Trotter; her nieces whom she loved as her own children, Jessica Shand (Peter), Jordan Davis and Aly Stuckey (Ryan); great-nieces Audrey and Bayon Davis, Grace and Louisa Shand, and Charlotte Stuckey. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, Ronald L. Trotter.

A private memorial service will be held. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Columbia, SC 29204, or the charity of one’s choice.