Karen Fayter Obituary

Karen Sue Fayter (nee Summers), beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, died of cancer on September 26, 2025, in Johnstown, PA. Born April 4, 1951, in Windber, PA, Karen spent her early years in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania, running amok on a dairy farm, nursing wounded animals back to health, and walking to and from school in six feet of snow (uphill both ways). She moved with her family of 8 to Nesco, NJ, in 1963, and quickly adapted to life in small-town South Jersey, where she no longer had to walk to school and there was a lot less snow. She soon became big sister to one final little brother, on whom she doted more than was strictly necessary. She worked for Bell Telephone soon after graduating from Oakcrest High School, and in 1973, she met and married Pete Fayter from Collings Lakes, with whom she shared too many hijinks to discuss here. The two moved to a small house in Collings Lakes in 1981, added a second story, and spent the next 41 years there. They and their little family were generally happythere, except for being consistently unable to produce a beautifully carpeted lawn in the sandy South Jersey soil.

Besides being an excellent stay-at-home mother to Chris and Tara, Karen was a surrogate mom to almost every child her kids brought home, a fact that consistently irritated her own jealous offspring. Most neighborhood kids (and a fair number from other towns) called her Mom and knew they would usually be invited for dinner if they showed up at the right time. She could really cook, too – she was especially good at making real Italian meatballs (even though there wasn't an ounce of Italian in her).

Karen was also an avid crafter and could produce nearly anything with her hands. She went through a lengthy cross-stitching phase that resulted in an unbelievably detailed portrait of the Gone with the Wind mansion, as well as many other museum-quality pieces. She knitted beanies and booties for lots of babies and made clothes and scarves for anyone who wanted them. She could sew anything and produced dozens (and dozens) of bowl cozies in her later years. But her quilts were her real pride and joy. Though she was masterful with a machine, she refused to use anything but her hands to stitch any part of her double- and queen-sized masterpieces. Every single stitch was produced using only her fingers, a needle, and thread (and when she remembered, a thimble). She left one final quilt unfinished at the time of her death.

In 2022, Karen and her husband sold their Collings Lakes home and moved to Johnstown, PA. She was sad to leave her job at the Dollar Tree in Hammonton, where she obsessed over stocking the candy aisles just so, but the mountains were calling.

Karen is survived by Pete Fayter, her husband of 52 years; her beloved Boxer, Charlie; son, Christopher, and his fiancé, Jill Shutz; daughter, Tara Ronda, and her husband, Alex; granddaughter, Sydney Kay, and her fiancé, Kevin Young; sister, Deb Kilburn, and her husband, Paul; nieces, nephews, cousins, and many, many friends. She was preceded in death by both parents, five siblings, several nieces and nephews, and all the dear Boxers who came before (Bronson, Cody, Molly, Bonnie, and Clyde).

A celebration of life will be held 2-5pm on November 1, 2025, at the Hilda Frame School, 3410 Nesco Rd., Nesco. All who knew Karen are welcome to attend.