Karen Taha, 75, passed on November 20, 2017, in Springdale, AR. She was born on Jan. 10, 1942, in Mena, AR and grew up in Scottsdale, AZ. Her lifelong love of language, books, and education led her to complete two masters degrees, in Spanish and Library Science. She was the Library Media Specialist at Elmdale Elementary School (Springdale) for many years before devoting herself to writing. She authored three books for children and young adults, including Hotdog on TV, Marshmallow Muscles Banana Brainstorms, and A Gift for Tía Rosa, which was featured in the PBS series “Reading Rainbow.”

Karen was a passionate traveler who introduced her family to the wonder of new places and cultures. Her energy and compassionate determination inspired her advocacy for young people as a volunteer with CASA in Northwest Arkansas, Owl and Panther, a refugee arts organization in Tucson, AZ and Save the Children in Sonora, Mexico. 

She is survived by her husband, Hamdy; son, Tarek, his wife, Susanna, and their daughter, Sarah; son, Sharif, his wife, Korey, and their son Elio; daughter, Maisa, and her husband, Keith; and her sister, Patricia.

The family will receive friends at Sisco Funeral Chapel of Springdale from 5:00 to 7:00pm on Wednesday, November 22. A memorial gathering will be held in Karen’s honor at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to Hamdy and Karen Taha Scholarship, Industrial Engineering Department, University of Arkansas, 4207 Bell Engineering, Fayetteville, AR 72701.