Karen Jeanne Sliman (nee Rosa), was the heart of her family-the kind of person who made every day feel special and every holiday feel magical.  She was born on October 4, 1948, in Oberlin and left her family far too soon on December 23, 2025.  Even now, just days later, the world feels dimmer without her.

Karen grew up in Oberlin, to parents Clarice (nee Snyder) and Bob Rosa.  She had an older brother, Ken.  They spent almost every weekend at their family cabin on the Huron River, boating and waterskiing under endless summer skies.  She loved Oberlin with all her heart-and to be honest, Oberlin in the 1950s looked like something straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting; tree-lined streets, close-knit neighbors, and that wholesome small-town charm that shaped her into the warm soul she always was.  Karen graduated from Oberlin High School in 1966 and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University.  She taught high school art for a time, sharing her creativity with students who surely remember her passion.  But her true calling came when she became a mother.  She met her husband Vince in the most mom-like way imaginable; she spotted him in a bar, walked right up, and said, "I remember you, but you don't remember me, even though they had never met before.  They married in August 1975, on what she always called the hottest day of the year.  Nothing brought her more joy than being a mom to her children.  As a stay-at-home mom, she poured her endless creativity into her family home.  She was a fantastic cook, turning everyday meals into something special.  She bragged proudly about doing five loads of laundry a day, as if it were a badge of honor for how fully she embraced family life.  In the warm months, you would find her out in the yard, tending to her flowers and garden with pure delight.  And Christmas was her masterpiece.  Karen was, without question, the best gift-giver ever known.  She had an uncanny ability to know exactly what each of her children wanted, even before they did. The piles of presents under the tree were legendary.  She made the holiday feel truly magical each year.  Karen was always there for her children, no matter what. She was their biggest cheerleader, endlessly proud of everything they did.  When the grandchildren arrived, fourteen of them in total, her happiness was complete.  She loved each one fiercely, spoiling them with the same warmth and attention she gave her children.  Karen was the most loving, kind, and caring person.  She had a way of making everyone feel seen and cherished.

For several years, she attended Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in South Amherst.  Along with being a parish member, she prayed weekly at church for the Adoration of the Monstrance.

Surviving are her husband of 50 years, Vincent A. Sliman, children: Mark (Anne) Sliman of Wakeman, Robert (Joan) Sliman of Phoenix, Andrea (Scott) Vermillion of Bellefontaine, Kevin (Jana) Schutt of Texas, fourteen grandchildren, and her nephew Ken (Susan) Rosa of Grafton.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Clarice and Bob Rosa, her beloved brother Ken Rosa, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Sam and Josephine Sliman.

Friends will be received at the Garland-Misencik Funeral Home, 851 Park Avenue, Amherst, on Thursday, January 1, 2026, from 4-8 p.m.  The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 2, 2026, at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Catholic Church, 333 South Lake Street, South Amherst.  Everyone, please meet at church.  Burial will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Amherst.