KAREN CACHEVKI WILLIAMS.  Gathering to honor the life of Karen. Sunday, July 23rd, program at 4 pm at the Alice Hardie Stevens Center (603 E. University Ave.).  Guests may arrive as early as 3 pm for music, appetiser table, viewing of memorabilia and conversation.  If you have books, new or used, you would like to contribute, her family will be sure these are placed in the coming months in the Little Free Libraries Karen built and maintained.   

Karen Cachevki Williams transitioned from this life on April 16, 2023.  She was born to Marie Louise (Betty) (Pagano) and Jerome Cachevki on December 16, 1950 in Chicago.  She is survived by a sister Gail (Cachevki) Gottschling of Chicago (husband Norbert Alexander Gottschling). Karen is also survived by her spouse Stephen Earl Williams of Laramie and two sons, Eric Brandon Williams of Laramie and Brian Daniel Williams (wife Svetlana Lvovna Tchistiakova) living now in Seattle.  Raised in Chicago, Karen attended public schools, and graduated from Taft High School in 1968.   She attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana earning a BA in English/Secondary Education in 1972.  She was of the first generation in her family to graduate from college. 

Karen’s first full time position was in North Carolina at Angier High School where she taught English and French (1972-1976).  In March of 1975 she met Steve Williams at a five-year old’s birthday party.  Williams was a PhD graduate student at N. C. State University.  They were married in Raleigh, North Carolina in a small library on December 20, 1975.  In August of 1976 she and Steve moved to Laramie where he had secured a faculty position.  After an epic cross-country move, Karen spent little time being overwhelmed by the wide-open sky and spaces of Wyoming.  In September of that year she caught a 19 inch, three pound rainbow trout at Twin Buttes.  There is a question if she hooked the fish or the fish hooked her.  Either way, she returned to school with a vengeance and earned a BS degree in Home Economics/Consumer and Educational Services at the University of Wyoming (UW) in 1978.

In 1979, their first son, Eric, was born and a few years later, in 1982, Brian.  Karen had a natural inclination towards, passion for, and love of motherhood.  This zeal and affection extended to other children as well and informed her actions at the University.  During these early years of parenthood, Karen and Steve developed and perfected “tag-team parenting.”  This was essential as Karen continued educational pursuits and worked professionally both inside and outside the home.  In the quality time that both parents spent with their growing children there were family reading sessions, trips to the mountains, plays and a little later, guitars.  Karen embraced her role as the maker of birthday cakes, creator of costumes, counselor for skinned knees and later for broken hearts. She also set standards of work and accomplishment for the family.

 Karen and Steve took leave to California in 1985 where she earned an MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena.  Their sons enrolled in the children’s program at Pacific Oaks where they were exposed to programs not common elsewhere.  These included whale watches and camping on the beach.  The focus on children, teaching philosophy, and methods of engaging students that Pacific Oaks provided, permeated Karen’s teaching, research and leadership for the rest of her life.  

                After several positions (UW-Correspondence Study, Laramie Cooperative Nursery School, UW-Child Care Center, Teaching Fellow at Pacific Oaks College), Karen returned to graduate school earning a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from UW in 1993, specializing in Early Childhood Education.  This credential provided Karen with the authority to pursue her principle passion, the education of young children and the education of those who would be teachers of young children.  Her passion and drive were manifest as she served as an instructor in the College of Education and Assistant lecturer in UW’s College of Agriculture (Department of Family and Consumer Sciences) before being appointed Assistant Professor in this department in the area of Child and Family Studies (1995).  She advanced to Associate Professor (2001), Professor (2010) and served as department head from 2003 to 2010.

 From 2010 to 2014 she served as Director of the Applied Science program.  During her 11 years of being an administrator, she retained her teaching responsibilities and continued to mentor students and faculty alike.  She finished her UW career working as a University Assessment Specialist, in the Office of Academic Affairs.  She retired on June 30, 2015 as Professor Emeritus. 

During her professional career Karen taught 26 different courses, chaired numerous Masters Committees, and served on a hundred PhD and Masters Committees.  She authored or co-authored dozens of peer reviewed journal publications, case studies, book chapters, a book and numerous other publications including puppet plays for young children.  She presented over a hundred oral presentations and workshops.  Of her various awards and honors, the 2012 Western Regional Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, from the USDA, stands out.  

Perhaps the longest lasting “brick and mortar” accomplishment which Karen helped catalyze was the planning, funding and creation of the UW Early Care and Education Center (UW-ECEC).  From 1996 through 2007 she served on the Development Task Force to establish the center.  Margaret Cooney, also a member of the task force, described her as the “lead advocate and designer of the new facility.”  The Center opened its doors in 2005 to children, students, teachers and parents and is still going strong. 

Karen also started the Professional Child Development distance degree program.  Between 2002 and 2023 this program had 225 graduates.  This action represents much of what we do or should do at the University:  create opportunity for students.  It is not “brick and mortar,” but it is at the heart of our mission and was the heart of Karen’s. 

Karen was a talented and inventive cook who loved nothing more than treating her friends and family at holidays, special events and picnics.  As department head, there were numerous dinners and parties at her home.  One memorable event saw 107 undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and staff.  The students ate everything, every thing, leaving only bones and empty dishes.

                Travel was Karen’s passion.  Professional travel took her all over Wyoming (including all of the experiment stations, community colleges and extension centers), and to many states and countries (Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Germany and Poland).  Family trips always included the boys and took her to most states in the USA (including Hawaii, many times) and many foreign countries (Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland and Switzerland). Karen was motivated to explore new places, observe the traditions of other cultures, note lives of other people and how they loved and accommodated their children.   

                Karen and her family enjoyed fishing, mushroom hunting, hiking, concerts, plays, picnics, an occasional opera, National Parks, wild lands and wildlife.  The Grand Teton Yellowstone area was a favorite with Moose Falls on Crayfish Creek, being an especially poignant haunt.

                During her several years of retirement, she still participated in professional activities including consulting, but mostly focused on family, friends and former students. During the last several years, she created and managed two Little Free Libraries:  one in Kiowa Park the other in Kiwanis Park. 

                A memorial event celebrating her life will be held on July 23rd, from at 4 PM at the Alice Hardie Stevens Center, 603 E. Ivinson Ave in Laramie, Wyoming.  In lieu of flowers or other items, memorial gifts can be made to the University of WY Foundation at 222 22^nd Street, Laramie, WY 82070 in Karen’s honor. These gifts will benefit the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. Such gifts can be made alternatively online at uwyo.edu/foundation   Click “Give to UW.”

When on or near water, Karen was especially at peace.

She loved the sound of ocean gently awash as she walked the beach.

A float of ducks, a stand of crane, a gaggle of geese,

Particularly a slap of beaver or dripping moose seemed to reach

The essence of her shining countenance, the expression of her soul.

Her face would light at such sound and sight illuminating her whole.

For those of us mere mortals whom her life touched,

We are enhanced, activated maybe even blinded

                as here in this hour, day, week, life we are reminded

Of the life she lived of passion, intellect and love that never rushed 

But still defined the nexus between patience and impatience, distrust and trust,

Conjecture and the Null, empty words and refined thought, empty heads and talk.

For she, among so many, could indeed “talk the talk, but also walk the walk.”

She bravely confronted an incurable disease aligned

To destroy her body, to chip away at her strength. 

Despite all the treatment, the struggle, but at length

She succumbed, she has drifted away,

          gone today.

We accept perhaps, but do not approve:  we are not resigned!

                             S. E. Williams