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March 12, 2025
Services
Visitation will be on Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 2pm-6pm at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ. Funeral Services will be held at 9:30 AM on Monday, March 17, 2025, from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Karen will be laid to rest with her husband, Travis, at the Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes, NJ.
Karen Ann Havel (nee Arbucci), age 51 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, with her family gathered at her bedside.
Karen grew up in the Bronx until she was about 8 years old, when her family moved to Wayne, NJ. She graduated from Wayne Valley High School the class of 1991, where she was on the basketball team. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University with aspirations of being a schoolteacher. However, shortly after graduation she began working in banking, which ultimately became her career path. She started with Wayne Savings Bank and then to Valley Bank where she has served twenty plus years working her way up to Senior Personal Banker. She was very good at her job and especially loved her customers and working with her co-workers.
Karen met her husband, Travis, after being introduced by a mutual friend. When the time came for Travis to propose, he gave Karen a new toolbox…which didn’t exactly excite her. But he encouraged her to open the toolbox, and inside she found a sparkling engagement ring! They were married on October 2, 2004, at Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne, and honeymooned in Hawaii. During their marriage, they attended countless NASCAR races, football games, and minor league hockey and baseball games. They were big fans of the Wilkes-Barre Penguins, and they enthusiastically participated in the “toss a teddy bear” tradition, where fans would throw teddy bears onto the ice after the Penguins scored their first goal. She was able to enjoy this tradition this past December with her sister Patty and nephew Devin.
Karen is survived by her loving parents; Vincent and Barbara Arbucci of Wayne, two sisters; Lorraine Arbucci and her husband David Holowiecki of Saint Cloud, Florida; Patricia Arbucci of Pompton Plains and three nephews; Dylan, Derek, and Devin Rhinesmith and their Father William Rhinesmith. and her sister’s two dogs Penny and Harley of Wayne, NJ.
She was predeceased by her husband, Travis, in 2022, who she missed dearly every day.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Visitation will be on Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 2pm-6pm at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ. Funeral Services will be held at 9:30 AM on Monday, March 17, 2025, from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Karen will be laid to rest with her husband, Travis, at the Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes, NJ.
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