National Capital Region Notices

Posted May 13, 2008

Karen H. Rosen, Professor and Therapist — in memoriam

Karen Hanula Rosen, 62, a former professor at Virginia Tech, died in her home at 6613 Briarcroft Street, Clifton, Virginia 20124 on April 29, 2008. She had brain cancer. Karen was married to Cecil C. Rosen, III, originally from New Market, VA, for over 40 years.

Karen was born in Vineland NJ and attended Vineland High School. Following high school she attended Radford University and received a Bachelor's degree in education in 1968. After teaching for several years at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, Conn., where she also founded the girls' basketball and track teams, she took at teaching hiatus to raise her two sons, Jeffrey and Michael. Karen loved being a mother and valued it more than any of her other jobs.

She moved to northern Virginia in 1977 and received a Masters degree in marriage and family therapy from Virginia Tech in 1984. She worked as a clinical therapist in private practice and as a caseworker and guardian for the Refugee Unaccompanied Minors program. She continued her education at Virginia Tech and received her Doctorate of Education with emphasis on counseling education in 1992. Following her doctoral degree she became a Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy in Virginia Tech's National Capital Region Campus in Falls Church. Dr. Rosen was very active in graduate level teaching and mentoring, clinical supervision, research and publications. She published many journal articles, one book and twelve book chapters.

In June 2004, Dr. Rosen was diagnosed with brain cancer and was unable to continue the teaching career she loved. In 2005 Dr. Rosen was named Professor Emerita, Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Tech. She remained as active in the Virginia Tech program as her health would permit throughout the past four years. Dr. Rosen was also a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Board of Counseling.

Throughout Karen's life, family and friends have been her most important focus. Karen enjoyed exercise and biking and had completed her third Reston Triathlon in the fall of 2003.

Survivors include her husband for forty years, Cecil, their two sons, Jeffrey and Michael, grandson, Reece, mother, Mary Hanula and brother, Walter Hanula.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA 22124 0n Friday, May 16, 2008 at 11:00 AM followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made online (click here) or by mail to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3624, Durham NC 27710.

OR donated online (click here) to the Brain Tumor Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD (designate Brain Tumor Research Fund (Dr. Olivi).

Please specify "Donation in Memory of Karen Rosen." Both of these organizations (actually the people in them!!) meant so much to Karen during her brain cancer journey. They both do wonderful work by having big hearts and by giving their patients hope and the best treatment and care available anywhere.

(from Cecil Rosen via Eric McCollum, Professor and Program Director, Marriage & Family Therapy)