Obituary of Karen Sue Gross

Karen (Martin) Gross, 56, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2020, and immediately entered the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Karen was born May 10, 1963 in Dayton, Ohio to Ronald and Doris Martin, who both preceded her in death. Karen graduated from Vandalia-Butler High School and Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, and enjoyed a long career as an RN at Summa Health Systems. She inspired her family in recent years by earning her MS in Nursing. Karen loved to travel, and a recent cruise with dear friends brought her much joy. Earlier adventures included mission trips to England, Italy and East Asia, as well as traveling through Europe. Karen courageously and graciously battled pulmonary hypertension for over 16 years, and in recent years, breast cancer. As a testimony to her strength and enduring spirit, Karen worked until about six months ago, and her attitude and daily life did not reflect the myriad of health issues she faced. One of her doctors recently expressed that Karen was not defined by her medical chart. By fixing her eyes and her hope on the promises of Jesus, she walked through each day, and by which her family now does the same. Karen is survived by husband, Gary; adult children, Marisa and Ryan; sister Kathleen Martin of Silver Spring, MD; and many very special cousins and extended family. Services will be held 6 PM Thursday at Grace Church, 754 Ghent Road, Fairlawn, Ohio 44333. The family will receive friends from 4 PM to service time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Karen’s memory to Urban Vision, 749 Blaine Avenue, Akron, Ohio 44310.