Karen Koshy joined Rotary about 15 years back. Her husband Jeboy Koshy invited her to become a Rotarian in then Fremont Sunrise Rotary and the now Fremont Morning Rotary. Her very successful professional career in Systems Engineering and Project Management developed her keen skills in leadership, communication, and administration. When she retired as Senior Project Manager from Kaiser Permanente, Karen brought all those skills into the Rotary world. Karen and her husband travelled to all corners of the world, acquiring respect for other cultures, religions and ways of life. This helped her understand the less fortunate, both locally and globally. That awareness also played a major role when she joined Rotary.
In Fremont Morning Rotary, she served as Club President, Membership Director, TRF Director, and PR Director. She served on the Fremont Morning Rotary Foundation Board for several years. Later Karen was called upon to serve in District 5170 at various Leadership positions. Her ever-present smile and cheerful attitude towards those she encountered made Karen a well-respected Rotarian. In District 5170 Karen Koshy Served as the Area 3 Assistant District Governor. The role provided her opportunities to mentor Club Presidents. As the Area 3B Membership Coordinator, Karen worked very closely with Club Membership Chairs and the District Membership Chair. On many occasions, Karen served in various District 5170 Committees. Karen was always willing to take on responsibilities whenever called upon. In late 2021 Karen and Jeboy travelled with a group of fellow Rotarians to Ethiopia to dedicate the RI Global Grant project Breathing for Life, Oxygen generating plant. They also visited several Global Grant projects in Uganda. Karen was an avid Environmentalist. She was an active participant in Project Green Earth’s Seedball Scattering initiative. This effort so far has scattered almost 20,000 Seedballs to grow trees.
On July 8th, 2022, Karen passed away very peacefully. In her passing all of us lost a true friend, a compassionate human being, and a dedicated Rotarian. May her soul rest in Peace.