Karen Beavers

Karen Marjorie Beavers (McQuaid) peacefully passed away on October 20, 2025, with her husband at her bedside.

Karen was born on November 2, 1947, to James Walter McQuaid and Marjorie Lois Fullerton in Laurel, Maryland.

Karen lived her entire life in Laurel, Maryland, and was a member of St Philip's Episcopal Church, where she was a devoted follower of Christ. Even when she was confined to bed the last year of her life, Karen was always proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to her caretakers.

Karen graduated from Laurel High School and the University of Maryland with a degree in Psychology. She also attended graduate school at Loyola University, where she studied Pastoral Counseling. She served as a volunteer domestic violence counselor at HopeWorks in Columbia, Maryland. She also volunteered as an art teacher at her son's elementary school.

Karen loved writing poetry and received many awards for her work, which was published in several anthologies. Karen also authored eight children's books published in both English and Spanish. Two of her books were featured in the December 2017 issue of The New York Review of Books. In addition, Karen was a member of ASCAP and wrote and produced two Gospel songs (Overwhelming Love and He is Ever Near)

While attending Graduate School, she developed fibromyalgia. Through her own trials, she became an advocate for people with fibromyalgia and lobbied Governor Glendening and the Maryland legislature to designate May 12, 2002, as State Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. She also convinced Mayor Moe to establish a City of Laurel Fibromyalgia Awareness Day.

She is survived by her husband of almost 35 years, Edd George Beavers Jr. She is also survived by three sons: William Andrew Kowalski, Charles Alexander Kowalski, and Edward James Kowalski, three granddaughters (Lily Ayd, Kendall Beavers and Marley Beavers), three grandsons (Hunter Kowalski, Andrew Kowalski, Zachary Kowalski, and Noah Kowalski), and two great-grandsons(Cameron Dylan Kowalski and Axle Alexander Kowalski). She was preceded in death by her stepson, Edward Beavers, III, in 2013.

Services will be held at St Phillip's Episcopal Church on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 2:00 pm, followed by internment at 3:15 pm. Viewing will be on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Donaldson Funeral Home, P.A. 313 Talbott Avenue Laurel, Maryland 20707 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.