Joan Karen Stack, 82, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 21, 2024, after a long illness.

Karen was born on June 27, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Dolores Morgan, a bookkeeper, and John Chenoweth, a professional baseball player, steelworker, and farmer. Raised in Edinboro and Pittsburgh, Karen's childhood was marked by resilience after the tragic loss of her father at a young age. Her mother, Dolores, relied on Karen and her younger brother, David, to help support the household. Despite the hardships, Karen was a spirited young woman, excelling as a cheerleader and remaining highly involved in school activities, even as her family moved frequently.

Karen graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1960 before attending the University of Pittsburgh, where she majored in Creative Writing and pledged Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. During her time at Pitt, Karen's beauty and poise led to a modeling gig with Mademoiselle magazine. After earning her degree in 1964, she worked as an advertising copywriter for Kauffman's Department Store and married Dr. William (Bill) Longphre, with whom she had four children. Tragically, Bill passed away in an accident, leaving Karen to raise their children on her own.

Undeterred, Karen returned to school to earn a Master's degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. She then embarked on a career in accounting and office management, working for various automotive dealerships and ultimately landing in the Greensboro, North Carolina, area.

In the late-1980s, Karen met Tom Stack, a former Air Force pilot and project manager at Lucent, at church. It was love at first sight. Tom and Karen, both eternal optimists, merged their families — each with four children — and created a blended household ala "8 is enough." Their 35-year marriage was filled with adventures, home projects, and a shared commitment to volunteering and giving back to the community.

Karen was a passionate and dedicated volunteer, contributing her time and energy to many local organizations, including the Dolphin Project, the Richmond Hill Historical Society, the Bryan County Bark Park, Saint Anne Catholic Church, and the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, among many others.

She is survived by her daughters, Malinda (Dave), Jennifer, Elizabeth (Steve), and son John (Kaori); her stepchildren, Katherine (Glenn), Annie, and Jamie (Megan); her grandchildren Ryan (Kayla), Nick, Miles (Danayjha), Jared, Connor, Caroline, Calder, Madelynn, Mary Katherine, Audrey, Penny, Noah, Lucas, Gus, Hank, and Jack; her great-grandchildren Adelyn, Jackson, Mila, and Maya; her brother David (Linda); son-in-law Larry and his children Alexa, Jaclyn, Julia, and Cole. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Tom Stack, her first husband Bill Longphre, her stepdaughter Maria Stack, and her parents Dolores and John Chenoweth.

Karen will be remembered as a lovely woman of high standards—hard-working, patient, kind, and deeply gratified by the success of her children and grandchildren. She gave more of herself in service to her family and the world than she ever saw in return, always the rock on which everyone relied. Her memory will be cherished by all who knew her.

A memorial mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at St. Anne Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a favorite humanitarian, animal rescue, or environmental cause.