Karen Christa (Levsen) Simonetti, of Liverpool, New York, passed away at home on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at the age of 91 years. Karen was born in Mt Vernon, New York and was the first of 5 children to her German parents, Karl and Gretchen Levsen. When Karen was 6 years old the family moved back to Germany to settle on the beautiful island Fohr in the North Sea. There her family owned and managed a prominent shoe store and offered rooms for guests.  When Karen turned 21 she adventurously traveled back to the United States to pursue her future.

Karen met Benjamin Paul Simonetti in New York City, where he was charmed by her "Doris Day looks" and famously would not take "no" for an answer. He introduced her to his large Italian-American family and they were married in 1955.  They settled in West Babylon, New York where they lovingly raised their 5 children, 4 girls, then a boy, coincidentally the same makeup as Karen and her siblings. Karen happily resided in West Babylon for 60 years; she moved to Liverpool to live with her daughter and family in 2015.

Before and after having children, Karen trained and resumed a careeer as a laboratory technician. She worked for 30 years at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, New York and specialized in bacteriology.  She was a dedicated employee and beloved by her coworkers.

Karen loved to cook and prepare meals for her large family;  she had a special way with gravy and sauces.  She was a particularly avid baker - there were always delicious cakes and cookies in the house.  She reveled in sharing her recipes and techniques with her children and especially her grandchildren. Throughout the house, Karen had a skill and passion for organization. She could get great joy from opening the door to a beautifully organized linen closet.  Karen also enjoyed watching sports and, influenced by her husband and his family, became a devoted lifelong New York Yankee fan.  She is predeceased by her husband, Benjamin who died in 1988 and her sisters: Anna (Kohler) and Frauke (Refior.)

Surviving to cherish her memory are her children; Frances (Frank) Badagnani, Margaret (Michael) Kelly, Carol (Bill Moloney), Christa (Tim) Isbell, and Tom (Maria.), 10 grandchildren; Gina, Cara, Michelle, Renee, Rebecca, Lauren, Thomas, Matt, Chris, and Julia, 6 great-grandchildren; Cecilia, Mattias, Mila, Nikolai, Colin, and Wesley, her siblings; Weibke (Weber) of South Africa and Volli Levsen of Germany and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Services will be private and Karen will be laid to rest in North Babylon Cemetery, Babylon, NY.

Please sign the funeral home on-line guestbook for Karen to express your condolences to her family.