Karen M. (Meyers) Capacci

Karen Meyers Capacci, 81, passed away peacefully at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital on March 13, 2025, following a very brief and brave battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, John G. Capacci, her son Jon M. “Bo” Capacci, of Denver, CO, his wife Claire, and their sons John Cian and Andrew Walker, her daughter Paige T. Capacci and partner Michael Knorr, of West Alexander, PA, four sisters, Judy Longo, Patricia Keeler (Cynthia), Sandra Hopkins (Tim) and Cheryl Kubasik (John) along with their children, Karen’s beloved nieces and nephews. She is survived as well by John’s sister Nancy Buchholz and her husband Lewis, of Denver, CO.

Karen was born on June 29, 1943, in Seneca Falls, NY, the eldest daughter of James and Barbara Meyers. Days spent during her youth on the shores of Cayuga Lake were always very dear to her heart. She attended Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls, where she participated in National Honor Society and graduated in 1961 in the top 10 in her class. Additionally, she was two-time captain of the Mynderse cheerleading team. In 9th grade she met her first love, John, who had the finest fortune of convincing Karen to dance with him, and they were not separated for any meaningful time thereafter. John attended the University of Notre Dame while Karen stayed closer to home at SUNY Cortland, and the time apart made it clear that they should be together in a more permanent way. John had the good sense to propose sooner than later, they were engaged in February of 1966, and married in August. Karen joined John in East Greenbush, NY, as he attended Albany Law School. There, Karen got her ‘PHT’ degree, Putting Hubby Through law school and teaching 3rd Grade, while John focused on studying. After passing the Bar Exam in 1968, John was offered a job at a law firm in Sodus, NY, and he and Karen moved to Sodus, where they would build their life for the next 57 years.

To know Karen was to be blessed by an abundance of her generosity, gentleness, grace, and kindness. She spent her life giving: to her family, friends, and her community. Karen taught for six years in K-3 before her children arrived, at which point she stayed home until they began school. She also worked as a secretary in John’s law practice for six years. Karen’s community involvement was diverse, including being President of the Sodus Cooperative Nursery School, the Secretary of the Sodus Central School Teachers Association, and working as an aide and substitute teacher throughout the years. Karen’s involvement in her church, Church of Epiphany in Sodus, was also very near to her heart; she and fellow parishioner Karen Hillyard initiated the annual Christmas basket program, she taught religious education for a decade and was also a member of the parish council. Karen was a volunteer at Blossom View Nursing Home as well.

A story from her high school years encapsulates Karen well: She won prom queen as a junior, so the following year she told everyone to vote for her best friend, since she herself had already won once. Karen was prom queen runner-up that year anyway.

Karen truly enjoyed spending time with her family, including traveling to Notre Dame to visit her children, many vacations spent on the sunny beaches of Hilton Head, SC, and trips to Colorado and Virginia to spend time with her grandsons; from her cherished annual Sisters Weekend to visits with Paige at her farm in SW Pennsylvania, she embraced these moments. Everything Karen touched was influenced by her love, empathy, and kindness, from the stunning aesthetic of her flower gardens to the thoughtfulness of her gift giving. Karen had the patience of a saint (as anyone who has met John knows) and treated all who crossed her path with the same generosity that she herself embodied; she was always the same person, even if no one was watching. All of us who knew Karen will miss her presence in our lives, but we know she will be with us in spirit as we carry on, honoring her memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Karen’s name be made to Pines of Peace in Ontario, NY, or to the Sodus Free Library.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Patrick’s Church in Seneca Falls, NY, at 11:00 am on Monday, March 24th, with private interment for immediate family to follow. A gathering to celebrate, memorialize, and tell stories will be held at the SMS Lodge in Seneca Falls at 1:00 pm.