Karen S. Dwyer

Karen Smith Dwyer, 74, of Allentown, NJ, formerly of Ewing Township, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Born in Akron, OH, and raised in Warren, OH, Karen lived in the Trenton area for over 40 years before moving to Allentown. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio, Karen earned her bachelor's degree in political science and was an active member of Chi Omega. Upon graduation, she was employed at NSA in Fort Meade, MD, where she met her husbandof 50 years, Jim. Later on, they jointly owned and operated Dwyer's Stationers, a long-established business in the Trenton and Ewing communities, until they sold it in 2004. Thereafter, she worked at the Bank of Princeton until her retirement. An avid golfer, tennis player and longtime member of Trenton Country Club, Karen loved the beach, vacationing on Long Beach Island every summer. She was an active board member and former board president of Morris Hall in Lawrenceville. She enjoyed traveling, reading, entertaining her family and friends, and spending time with her dog, Murphy. The daughter of the late Warren Kurz and Jean Lamb Smith, she is survived by her husband, Jim, of Allentown; her four children, Kristin Ganley and her husband, Michael, of Cranford, NJ, Michael and his wife, Cynthia, of Pennington, NJ, David and his wife, Christine, of Thiells, NY, and Molly Gilmartin and her husband, Matthew of Madison, NJ; her 13 grandchildren, Abigail, Claire, Patrick and James Ganley, Ryan, Kelley, Katie and Lauren Dwyer, Matthew, Megan and Joseph Dwyer; and Ava and Connor Gilmartin; her five sisters, Cheryl Gabig and her husband, Ted, Pamela Cordray, Patricia Baker and her husband, Gary, Janet Milliken, Jill Beal and her husband, Barry, and many nieces and nephews. She was a lifelong Catholic and her faith was very important to her. Services will be held at Saint James Church, 115 E. Delaware Ave., Pennington, NJ. Calling hours are on Wednesday evening, at the church, from 4 to 8 p.m. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at the church on Thursday at 10 a.m., followed by burial at Saint Mary's Cemetery, Hamilton. Arrangements are under the direction of Blackwell Memorial Home. Please visit www.BlackwellMH.com for additional information. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Karen's name to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, c/o ILD Program, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, or online at https://giving.apps.upenn.edu/fund?fastStart=simpleForm&program=MC&fund=628688&appeal=PMWEB. Donations may also be made to Morris Hall, One Bishops' Dr., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Blackwell Memorial Home 21 North Main Street Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-2900