Karin (Matusek) Randolph

Karin (Matusek) Randolph, 76, of Ellington, CT, and formerly of Mansfield, CT, passed away peacefully, August 4, 2019, with her husband and daughter by her side. She was born March 18, 1943 in Miami, FL to Carl J. and Virginia (Gregory) Matusek. 

Karin leaves behind her loving husband, Kenneth Randolph. She and Ken celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 7, 2019. She also leaves behind her daughter Amanda Doyle, her husband Patrick Doyle, and their son Andrew "Drew" Doyle, with whom she shared a special bond. Karin is survived by sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, an aunt, and friends who she considered family. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, John Matusek.

Karin attended Principia College and after graduating in 1964, she taught second grade in Melrose, MA. She earned a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from Boston University. In 1967, Karin took a position as Instructor and Clinical Supervisor in Speech and Language Pathology at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, where she met Ken. They moved to Boston in 1969 where Karin worked as a Consultant in Deaf Education for the State of Massachusetts. In 1972, after a move to Storrs, CT, she worked in the Windham Public Schools. Karin began working in the Coventry Public Schools in 1977 as a Speech and Language Clinician. Later, she developed and ran the Coventry Early Education Development (CEED) program, which emphasized parent participation. She was particularly proud of the CEED program and the positive impact that it had on children and families. Karin earned her PhD in 1986 from the University of Connecticut in Educational Administration. She then held positions as the Director of Special Education in the Putnam Public Schools in Connecticut and the Mansfield Public Schools in Mansfield, MA. She was also a Supervisor of Special Education in Berlin, CT. She retired in 2003 after a successful and fulfilling career in public education.

In retirement, she worked for two years as a surrogate parent (legal representative for education) under the Connecticut State Department of Education. She enjoyed spending time with those who were dear to her, playing mahjong, and traveling with her husband and good friends. Karin was warm, caring, creative, and adventurous. She loved being by the ocean, especially on Cape Cod, MA and Flagler Beach, FL. She made people smile with her joyful spirit and wry wit. She will be lovingly missed by her family and friends.

In keeping with Karin’s wishes, relatives and friends are invited to attend a party in celebration of her life at Publick House, 277 Main St., Sturbridge, MA, on Sunday, September 15, 2019, between 2:30pm - 5:00pm. Her ashes will be scattered by immediate family. In Karin’s memory, donations may be made to Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM), P. O. Box 221, Willimantic, CT 06226, online at waimct.org, or to a charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karin (Matusek) Randolph, please visit our floral store.