Karen Terese Lagrasta

Karen Terese LaGrasta, age 66, passed away in Laurel, MD on December 14, 2024. Born May 15, 1958, in Allegheny County, PA, Karen was the daughter of Leo and Theresa (Cherwin) Brozena. Karen was a 1976 graduate of Hanover Area High School in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where she also took dual enrollment courses through Luzerne County Community College. Karen earned her bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in English in 1980 from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. While Karen lived in Maryland since the 1980s, she always thought of Northeastern Pennsylvania as home.

Karen had a long and rewarding career in television production in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. She was a valued television booth manager for Orioles baseball on MASN for home broadcasts since 2009 and a stage manager for visiting feeds for NBA and NHL broadcasts since 1987. Karen’s other professional clients included NBC, FOX, the Big Ten network, CBSSN, and the Ravens television network. She also worked as a stage manager for NFL, MLS, and college football, lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. Karen was a proud member of the IATSE labor union, Local 487.

Karen was a member of St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church in Laurel. She was parent volunteer with the Hammond Park Stingrays swim team from 2003 through 2011 and with the Reservoir High School Music Department from 2007 through 2013.

Karen loved to laugh, and she loved spending time outdoors. She was an avid gardener, plant lover, and animal lover. She was a talented artist and loved to draw and paint. Karen was thrilled by the Baltimore Orioles’ resurgence and looked forward to their future victories. Karen passed on all these passions to her daughters, who are grateful she always encouraged them to pursue their dreams.

Karen is survived by her two daughters who she loved so much, Kaitlin LaGrasta (partner Alexander Smith) of Richmond, VA and Lauren LaGrasta (partner Jeff Sukkasem) of Vienna, VA, and four grand-cats. She is also survived by her children’s father and former husband, Nicholas LaGrasta of Wake Forest, NC; her mother Theresa of Hanover Township, PA; sister Carolyn Clark (Tim) of Mountain Top, PA; brothers Steven Brozena of Wilkes-Barre, PA, Michael Brozena of Seattle, WA, and Lee Brozena (Elizabeth) of North Reading, MA; one nephew, five nieces, one grand-niece; and dozens of friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Karen was preceded in death by her father, Leo, and her beloved dachshund of nearly seventeen years, Milo. We take comfort in knowing that Karen, Leo, and Milo are together.

Services will be held at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church at 114 St. Marys Place, Laurel, MD on January 25, 2025. Visitation will occur at 10 am followed by a funeral Mass at 11 am.

Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Karen LaGrasta to BARCS (https://www.barcs.org), your local animal shelter, the Reservoir High School Music Foundation (https://www.rhsmusicfoundation.com), or the Baltimore Orioles Charitable Foundation (https://www.mlb.com/orioles/community/charitable-fund).

BARCS
2490 Giles Road, Baltimore MD 21225
Tel: 1-410-396-4695
Email: info@BARCS.org
Web: https://www.barcs.org/donate

Reservoir High School Music Foundation
11550 Scaggsville Rd, Fulton MD 20759
Email: musicfoundationrhs@gmail.com
Web: https://www.rhsmusicfoundation.com/

Baltimore Orioles Charitable Fund
Web: https://www.mlb.com/orioles/community/charitable-fund