Karen Rykiel

Karen Rykiel, age 67, of Newark, Delaware, passed away in her sleep on Thursday August 1, 2024, after years of extended illness.

Karen was born in Yonkers, New York and moved to Delaware at a young age where she remained for the rest of her life.  She graduated from St. Mark’s High School and later from the University of Delaware. Karen eventually taught herself computer programming when it was still a growing industry, and quickly established a successful career, which enabled her to build her beloved house on Walnut Green Way in Newark. Soon after, she met Walter. She compared their marriage to a real-life version of ‘I love Lucy’ for the amount of comedy and laughter that he brought into her life.  Karen had a creative soul. She blended business acumen with an artistic eye to start her own graphic design business in the 90’s. She loved books and poetry. She made time as a young, single-mother-of-two for violin lessons. Her lifelong appreciation of music is best evinced by the Sekova guitar from her childhood - a gift from her father, still in the room beside her in her last days. That soul lives on in her sons, who she inspired and encouraged to become artists and musicians.  She was the center of a house full of love and full of life and is lovingly remembered as wife and mother.

Karen is survived and celebrated by her twin sons Jason Rykiel and Eric Rykiel, both 37 of Boston; and by her husband of 21 years Walter Linares.

According to her wishes, no service will be held, and her ashes are to be shared among her most immediate family.

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