KAREN ANNE (STASKO) MONTICELLI

Karen Anne (Stasko) Monticelli 81, died very peacefully at home in Arizona with her beloved husband and daughter by her side on June 30th, 2023. She was born in Syracuse, N.Y. on June 27th, 1942, the daughter of the late Edward and Dorothy (Barth) Stasko. From a young age Karen was very creative and inquisitive. She was an artist, a lover of nature, of starting seeds, growing plants and flowers, writing poetry, and reading about many subjects. At the age of 8 Karen had read that apple wood made superior charcoal for drawing with, so she walked two miles to an aunt’s house to harvest some from her orchard and had to be retrieved by her parents. With their help she began gardening around the same age and memorized thousands of Latin names of plants from her reading. After graduating high school early she attended classes at the State University of California in San Francisco. On a trip back from California for her sister's wedding, she met the love of her life, Dean Felix Monticelli; they were married September 1966. In 1971, with young children in tow they, along with business partners Neil and Alice Razzone, founded Wildwood Archery Club in Elbridge, N.Y. where they lived, worked and raised their family until 1991. Karen deeply loved her family and was a very gentle and kind mother. She enriched her children with her creative, inquisitive nature and love of learning and reading. In contrast she had an incredibly steely tenacity in dealing with her life-long affliction of Type 1 Diabetes. In 1998, following her husband's love of the desert, they retired to Arizona where they could enjoy the sunny warm weather while she relished in learning how to grow plants in this difficult new ecosystem. Karen enjoyed shooting target archery with her husband as well as competing; she placed first in the NYFA Regional Games in 1981 and 1982, competed at the Empire State Games of New York in 1982-1984 and was a Bronze Metalist in 1982. She volunteered at the Jordan Free Library, in Jordan N.Y. for 16 years. She painted with various art groups in New York and was a member of the Santa Rita Art League and open studio volunteer for 10 years. She was a devout Roman Catholic belonging to St. Patrick’s Church in Jordan, N.Y., St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus, N.Y., Our Lady of Peace Church in Lakeland, N.Y. as well as Our Lady of the Valley Church in Green Valley, AZ. She sang in the choir at Our Lady of Peace in Lakeland, N.Y. and Our Lady of the Valley Church in Green Valley, AZ. Karen is survived by her husband, Dean “Felix”, brother, John, of Florida and sister, Mary (Cookie) Farrar, of Syracuse, daughters, Rachel (Patrick) Monticelli-Turner, of New York and Irena (Jayaram K. Udupa) Monticelli, of Pennsylvania, son-in-law, Joseph Mondo, of Maryland, many nieces, nephews and three beloved grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, brother, Charles, her babies, Christian and Trena as well as her daughter, Felicia Monticelli, brother, Edward and nephew, James. There are no calling hours or services at this time. Private interment was in Assumption Cemetery, Syracuse. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. BAGOZZI TWINS FUNERAL HOME has care of arrangements. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Diabetes Association. Please share online memories and tributes at www.bagozzitwins.com.

KAREN ANNE (STASKO) MONTICELLI

June 27, 1942 - June 30, 2023