Karen A. Polk ’77 died on February 25, 2016, in Greenport, New York.
(The following appeared at Seacoastonline.com on March 8, 2016):
Karen Ann Polk of Greenport died Feb. 25, 2016. She was 60 years old and had lived with cancer for over 10 years.
Ms. Polk was born in Queens, raised in Glen Cove and lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Albany, Sea Cliff, Rocky Point and Jamesport before moving to Greenport in 2002.
After graduating from Bowdoin College with a degree in philosophy, Ms. Polk became a journalist, living in Mexico and Spain and writing for Newsweek, The Boston Globe and Newsday. She was an editor and writer of two photo books — “A Day in the Life of Spain” and “A Global Affair.”
Ms. Polk returned from abroad to become the New York City correspondent for the Globe. She later moved to Albany, where she became assistant to Gov. Mario Cuomo for program communications.
She returned to New York City to work for a private strategic communications firm and subsequently worked as a communications specialist for the Rockefeller Foundation, eventually heading the communications division.
Ms. Polk left the fields of journalism and communications to run a kung fu school, teaching tai chi and kung fu.
When she moved to Greenport, Ms. Polk worked on the North Ferry, first as a purser and then as a captain. In 2011, she became a student of energy medicine, taking up a regular meditation practice and exploring the history and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and mystical Christianity. Family members said Ms. Polk’s curiosity, drive and passion for the world and its people led her to take many paths, have many careers and experiences and make many friends. She was an experienced sailor, and played and performed on guitar and banjo.
Predeceased by her parents, Edward Michael Polk and Marie Magenheimer Polk, Ms. Polk is survived by her three sisters, Nancy Polk King, Victoria Polk-Lotito and Teresa Polk Politi.