Karen Louise Barley

Barley – Karen Louise, nee Werner, age 76, succumbed on July 16, 2026 from debilitating and lethal complications resulting from emergency colon surgery performed on June 14. She maintained peerless courage, bravery, and resolve in all that was required for a recovery that proved preordained to fail. She is survived by her husband, Doug; and beloved son, Matthew; as well as her younger brothers, Ken and Robbie Werner. She was predeceased by her brother, Danny Werner. Karen was born in Brooklyn in 1950 to Gustav and Sally Werner who later relocated the family to Huntington where she graduated from Half Hollow Hills high school. As an adolescent, her Sicilian grandparents worked in the textile industry and introduced her to fiber arts, including sewing, crocheting, and embroidery, all of which she quickly mastered. By age 10, she could crochet while watching TV. Karen excelled in virtually all handcrafts which later evolved into a lifelong pursuit of any and all artistic endeavors, from painting to pottery. In high school, she was the only girl who proudly sewed her own prom dress. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dowling College with a Fine Arts degree, and later completed her Masters in Fine Arts, as well, despite the limited career opportunities. Karen’s devotion and fufillment was always about pure artistic expression rather than commercial success. To her, the joy was in the creation of art that was personally satisfying to her and those around her. She spent 20 years teaching Art in high school, where she was named “Teacher of the Year” by her students. Throughout her life, Karen’s greatest fulfillment came from unselfishly sharing her skills with anyone interested in bringing beauty into the world. She was also a chef-level cook from days with her grandmother and restaurant employment shortly after marriage in 1972. After retiring in 2007, she narrowed her endeavors to pottery in her home studio and later by joining a not-for-profit pottery studio called the Brick in St. James, where she taught various ceramic disciplines. A memorial service celebrating Karen’s life will be held at Hawkins & Davis Funeral Home, 17 Manor Road, Smithtown, NY 11787, off Landing Avenue near the Smithtown train station on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Services will convene from 2:00-4:00, and 7:00-10:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckerncamp Drive, Smithtown, NY 11787.

The family of Karen would like to invite anyone who is in attendance to please come to the Old Street Restaurant and Pub, 92 East Main St. Smithtown, NY 11787 between the visiting hours to share in honor and in celebration of her life.