Karen Quinn – Never Easy Saying Good Bye

1/18/2020

by Brian Coll

Like many of you, I saw the news recently that Conshohocken lost a true original this week – Karen Quinn. Before I go any further, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the Quinn, Hauk and Murphy families.

This is going to sound strange… I was out last night at the Boathouse here in Conshy with my kids. A table of high school kids got seated a table or two away from us. For some reason, I started to think…. how did I ever get served beer when I was in high school? I would never serve these kids (They didn’t try at the Boathouse last night and I assure you the Boathouse wouldn’t have served these kids) So, I started thinking about how silly I must have looked walking into Wally’s on East 6th Ave when I was about 17 years old, couldn’t grow the tinniest bit of facial hair and this tall blonde bartender there laughed at me. I think I settled for my cheesesteak to go at that point…Well, that was Karen Quinn. I wasn’t the only one who thought of her as the tall blonde. As the years went on she drove a purple mustang with her license plate Mustang mom mom. She was known locally as “Mustang Mama”.

Karen was Conshy through and through. A 1959 Graduate of Conshy High. She summered in Conshy before it was cool. The very last event at Washies firehall was her 77th birthday last year. 1-1-2019. She loves meeting new people and woukd stop and talk to everyone. A 5 minute walk would turn into a whole day because everyone also knew her. She loved her family first and her dogs. At some points she would worked 3 jobs while raising her 4 kids. She always told her kids. “We may not have much, but together have it all.”

I know her extended family is going to be together this week, and while you may not have her, you have each other and she would like that. Once again, to the families that knew and loved her, we’re thinking of you.

Here is the official obituary:

Obituary of Karen L. Quinn

Karen L. Quinn    

Karen L. ( Murphy Hauk ) Quinn, 78, of Conshohocken, Pa passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

She was born in Norristown, Pa on January 1, 1942 (being born at 12:02 AM, making her Montgomery County’s 1st baby of the New Year for 1942). She was the daughter of the late David and Catherine ( Campbell ) Murphy Kelley. Karen Was a 1959 graduate of Conshohocken High School.  Karen has lived in West Conshohocken and Conshohocken all of her life.

She was a Pharmacy Technician with Giant Pharmacy and had previously worked with Bell Telephone, Sun TV & Video and Wally’s Steaks.

She was the wife of  Glenn W. Quinn.

Survivors include Husband Glenn Quinn of Conshohocken, Daughter Lisa (& Lawrence) Scarlett of Blue Bell, Daughter Denise (& Michael) Shirey of Humble, TX, Son Richard (& Kristen) Hauk of Pottstown, Daughter Susan Hauk (& Tim O’Donnell) of West Conshohocken, Brother David Murphy of Quakertown.  Also survived by her grandchildren Catherine Furey (& Shawn Reed), Kelley (& David) Bledsoe, Karena Scarlett(& Blake Bennett), Ashley Shirey, Aimee Shirey, Andrew Shirey, Jessica (& Nick) Edwards, Alexis Hauk, Gianna (& Daniel) Romano, Kailey Maniscalco (& John Hanson), Shelby (& Joshua) Gragilla, John Robert Days (& Jared Phillips), and her great grandchildren Raylan Edwards, Blake Edwards & Aria Romano.

Along with her parents she was preceded in death by a grandson Richard Hauk, III and a brother Gerald Murphy.

Friends will be received at Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428 on Monday evening, January 20, 2020 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Memorial Service will follow at 7:00 PM. 

Memorial Contributions may be made in her memory to: Montgomery County SPCA, 19 E. Ridge Pike PO Box 222, Conshohocken, PA 19428 (Please reference  #RPH3).

Arrangements by Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA, (610) 828-0330.