Karen A. Davis 1968-2026

She was born Oct. 13, 1968, in Warren, the first daughter of Judith A. DeFoor Wilkins and Kenneth D. Wilkins Sr. She was raised in Warren and carried the spirit of her hometown with her everywhere she went.

From a very young age, Karen accepted Christ and built her life on faith. That faith became her anchor, especially during her two-year, eight-month battle with triple-negative breast cancer. Even after surgery, even through chemotherapy, even on the hardest days, she smiled. She remained grateful. She encouraged others when she was the one fighting. Her smile was her superpower.

Affectionately known as “Snoop,” a nickname she carried since childhood because of her love for Snoopy and her playful spirit, Karen was a joy from the beginning. She was a majorette growing up and played the flute, earning the honor of first chair. She played shortstop at Burbank in softball, showing early on her strength, focus and competitive edge. In many ways, she never stopped cheering. She is still cheering us on.

Karen graduated from Warren Western Reserve High School in 1987. She always knew she wanted to be an accountant and built her entire career around that calling. After continuing her education at the University of Cincinnati, she earned her degree in business administration from Heidelberg College in Tiffin. She worked faithfully in accounting her whole life, most recently serving as a senior staff accountant at ICBD Holdings LLC. Her professional path also included University Hospitals, Key Bank, Valley of the Sun United Way of Maricopa, Arizona, and DHL. She was steady, intelligent and dependable, someone people could trust.

Karen loved sports and adventure. She enjoyed kayaking, kickboxing, professional tennis, the WNBA and cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers. She loved travel, crocheting, sudoku and stories that sparked imagination, including Star Trek.

Yet, above all, her deepest love was her relationship with Christ. Even when her immune system no longer allowed her to attend church in person, she remained committed through weekly Zoom Bible studies and Sunday worship. Her faith never wavered. Karen touched every life she encountered from Ohio to Atlanta to Arizona and finally, Florida. She was selfless, radiant and uplifting. She encouraged others to be better, never realizing she herself was truly the best of us.

Left to cherish Karen’s memory are her beloved son, Brandon Davis (Clea Myricks) of Margate, Florida; mother, Judith A. Wilkins, and father, the Rev. Dr. Kenneth (Flora) Wilkins Sr., both of Warren; sister, Debra Ann Wilkins of Toledo; “sister” cousin, Brooke (Carl) Diggs and Stephanie

(Reuben) Shaw, both of Warren; her brother, Kenny Wilkins Jr. of Currituck, North Carolina; her granddaughters, Halo Alani Davis and Cidni Ragland, both of Margate, Florida; honorary daughters, Janiesa Wilkins of Austin, Texas, and Tierra Frazier of Warren; nephews, Aunre’ Davis of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Caleb Shaw of Boardman; godchildren, Thomas Slavik of Phoenix, and Gianna, Isaiah and Indyah Neal, all of Douglasville, Georgia; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, at Trinity Baptist Church, with calling hours 10 to 11 a.m.

Burial will take place in Oakwood Cemetery.

Arrangements of comfort were handled by Sterling-McCullough Williams Funeral Home.

(special notice)